Active and passive selfie-related behaviors: Implications for body image, self-esteem and mental health

Research on online social networks has indicated that it is appropriate to differentiate between active and passive use of these services, especially since they often have reverse effects on well-being. This study focused on Instagram selfies as a specific form of Instagram activity. We adopted the proposed distinction between active and passive use of social networks and applied it to selfies. In two correlational studies, we measured three aspects of selfie-related behaviors: self-presentation through selfies (active form), selfie preoccupation (active form), and upward physical appearance comparison with others’ selfies (passive form). We explored their relationships with body image concerns and self-esteem (in Study 1, N = 284, 16.9% men, age ranged from 17 to 53) as well as subjective well-being and mental health (in Study 2, N = 473, 12.5% men, age ranged from 16 to 49) on the samples of Instagram users from Serbia and Balkan region who reported they take selfies. The results indicated that upward comparison with others’ selfies is detrimental to both body image and subjective well-being. However, self-presentation and selfie preoccupation were related to stronger fear of negative appearance evaluation and better social self-esteem, but they had negligible relationship with indicators of mental health. This research was the first to study both active and passive selfie-related behaviors within the same framework and it showed that these behaviors have similar relations to body image, but different to self-esteem and well-being.