Selfie is simply an appreciation but not a mental disorder

by:  Allan E. Ecleo

The news that selfie is a mental disorder spread like wildfire through social media, turning to be a Facebook, LinkedIn  and Twitter phenomenon. However, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) had never officially classified taking ‘Selfies’  as a mental disorder.  No declaration of this supposed new ‘Sefitis’ disorder can be found on the APA website, and has not been authenticated by any reliable source. 

The newsmaker of this was ostensibly a con trick from Adobo Chronicles, a website which employs the tagline ‘up-to-date, unbelievable news.’ 

Oxford legitimately named ‘Selfie’ the word of the year in 2013. The idea of taking photos of ourselves seems to come with a discernment of either narcissism or, a sense of humor on the other hand (one that ridicules narcissism). 

 

The PEW Research Center accounted that 91% of teenagers have taken a ‘Selfie’, which might indicate a divided viewpoint between generations. Nevertheless, plenty of adults also frequently contribute in the cultural trend.

The enriching marvel of the ‘Selfie’ depicts a very basic human yearning - to feel noticed, esteemed and praised. Although the ‘Selfie’ may not constantly draw out the most suitable type of recognition, obtaining just a few likes from Facebook or Instagram friends reveals an initial feature of human psychology that can actually help take results in the workplace.  It is interesting to note that affirmation and recognition lead a repeat of the same behavior.

 

According to The O.C. Tanner Institute and Health Stream, recognition surpasses the list of things that employees desire most from their employers. The study discloses that 79% of employees who give up their jobs point to lack of appreciation as a major factor. Of the people who testify the highest morale at work, 94.4% concurs that their managers are effective at affirming them. who is great at recognition.

With these statistics, would you still entertain the thought that selfie is a mental disorder or should you take it as a form of a generous gesture to appreciate your significant others?

The longing to feel appreciated isn’t just for the workplace either but likewise critical to a healthy relationship. According to a survey, “communication problems,” is the most common factor that leads to divorce pointing to nagging/complaining (70%), followed by their spouse not articulating adequate appreciation (60%), and “a lack of validation for their feelings and opinions” (83%) which sounds a lot  like recognizing’ feelings and opinions.

In any  workplace, the most effective recognition which is thanking the person for a job well done and expressing of gratitude to the people around you who make your life easier can drive performance and simply cheer up your day, what more when people appreciate you on social network because of your trendy sense of style in smiles and interests?

At home, communication may no actually be the problem because it’s given that no matter how busy the people inside their individual homes, they still converse with one another.  What is lacking is “positive communication” and that is where appreciation begins.

On social network, whether you like or not, you face naturally exudes with luster when you receive a number of likes on your pictures, so how could you say that’s a mental disorder.  Remember that mental disorder refers to a wide range of mental health conditions that affect one’s mood, thinking and behavior.  If appreciation ignites positivism to one who is affirmed then there’s no reason for it to be treated as a mental disorder.

 

Simply put it, the Selfie which both young and adult both appreciate simply unravels that there is a human desire to be recognized and appreciated for us to be driven more towards a life that is fully appreciated.

Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue; those who make it a friend shall eat its fruit.

Proverbs 15:4 Soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse one crushes the spirit.

 

Proverbs 12:18 The prating of some men is like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise is healing.

Question

The longing to feel appreciated isn’t just for the workplace either but likewise critical to a healthy relationship. According to a survey, “communication problems,” is the most common factor that leads to divorce pointing to nagging/complaining (70%), followed by their spouse not articulating adequate appreciation (60%), and “a lack of validation for their feelings and opinions” (83%) which sounds a lot  like recognizing’ feelings and opinions.

With the above-mentioned rationale, would you still withhold your optimum appreciation toward your significant others?  Why?

Reference: 

David Sturt and Todd Nordstrom, http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidsturt/2014/04/29/the-selfie-mental-disorder-or-insight-to-getting-better-results, The 'Selfie': Mental Disorder Or Insight To Getting Better Results?