Among adolescents and young people nowadays, the cult of self-image on social networks known as "Selfies Syndrome" is in vogue. They enjoy taking selfies of themselves and posting them on the Internet, being imitated by some adults.

In the historical era when the cult of self-image was limited to looking in the mirror, it was not possible to spread it; today, on the other hand, the new "narcissists" have the possibility of reaching thousands of recipients to show off with their original staging, thus "immortalizing" every moment.

Taking selfies is not a risk-free game, especially when it is done repeatedly. Let's look at two real cases taken from the press;

"15-year-old boy dies after falling from a rooftop while trying to take a selfie".

"Courtney Sanford, 32, was killed in a car accident on a North Carolina highway after crashing into a truck. Courtney's phone was found at the scene of the accident, where they found several selfies she took while driving before the crash."

The taking of selfies is also a source of funny anecdotes. It is said that a primate took his camera from a photographer and ran away with it, taking several selfies. The photographer retrieved the camera and disseminated these photographs, which demonstrated the animal's great skill for this internship. A discussion about copyrights ensued.

What are the main causes of selfie addiction?

One of them is vanity. Projecting a positive self-image has become an obsession for very vain people. It involves paying exaggerated attention to their physical appearance.

Children are being born and growing up today in a narcissistic society. Lowen wrote a book with this degree scroll: Narcissism, the disease of our time (2000). He considers that "individual narcissism runs parallel to cultural narcissism: the individual shapes the culture according to his own image and the culture shapes, in turn, the individual."

Experts warn us of the association between narcissism and leave self-esteem as a trigger for selfies. Thus, in addition to the risk of accidents, there is also the risk of causing possible personality problems. Excessive use of selfies can predispose to anxiety disorders and depression.

Dr. Juan María González-Anleo, in his book "Selfie Generation", points out that the propagated selfie is much more than a passing fad, and assures that young people are no longer interested in what is happening around them, but in what is happening to themselves.

In the opinion of the famous psychiatrist Glynn Harrison, "today we need to have a perception of ourselves that is realistic and grounded, and that is not focused on asserting our own importance, but on serving a purpose greater than ourselves." (The Great Ego Journey," 2017).