acm-header
Sign In

Communications of the ACM

ACM TechNews

Selfies: We Love How We Look and We're Here to Show You


View as: Print Mobile App Share:
girls in selfie, illustration

Credit: Getty Images

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology say they have analyzed 2.5 million selfie posts on Instagram to determine what kinds of identity statements people make by taking and sharing selfies. The researchers found nearly 52 percent of all selfies fall into the appearance category, meaning pictures of people showing off things such as their makeup, clothes, and lips. In addition, the team found that pictures about looks were twice as popular than the other 14 examined categories combined, which included social selfies, ethnicity pictures, travel, and health and fitness.

The researchers also note the prevalence of ethnicity selfies as an indication that people are proud of their backgrounds. Overall, 57 percent of selfies were posted by 18- to 35-year-olds, while the under-18 age group posted about 30 percent of selfies, and the 35-and-up group posted only 13 percent of selfies. In addition, most selfies are lone pictures, and are not taken with a group.

From Georgia Tech News Center
View Full Article

 

Abstracts Copyright © 2017 Information Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, USA


 

No entries found

Sign In for Full Access
» Forgot Password? » Create an ACM Web Account