I’ve never really been a huge fan of selfies. For some reason, when I find them from my friends on Facebook or Instagram, they make me feel a little bit awk. It leads me to wonder about several questions –

• Where was my friend when they took this photo?
• Was there anyone around when they took it and if so who was it?
• What was running through your head when you decided to take it?
• How many times did it take you to snap this photo until you decided it was worthy enough to be posted? (Seriously, though.)

I recently read about this study that while taking selfies can be gratifying for the person taking the selfie, it can have a huge impact on relationships you might have with your friends, family, and acquaintances on Facebook. In a study by UK researchers, they found that

“People, other than very close friends and relatives, don’t seem to relate well to those who constantly share photos of themselves,” Dr. David Houghton, a marketing lecturer at Birmingham Business School, said in a statement.

“It’s worth remembering that the information we post to our ‘friends’ on Facebook, actually gets viewed by lots of different categories of people: partners; friends; family; colleagues and acquaintances; and each group seems to take a different view of the information shared.”

With the high usage of smart phones and applications like Instagram, it’s unlikely that the trend of “selfies” will be going away any time soon. You won’t be seeing any selfies from me, but if you are doing them yourself here are a few points from the study and tips to keep in mind. Click here for the full article.