Socialmedia has well and truly taken over our lives.

Nearly two-thirds of American adults use social media platforms, and it’s no surprise that 90% of 18- to 29-year-olds are active on social networking sites.

Everywhere we turn, social media is mentioned, viewed and used by everyone around us – but what impact does this obsession have on our mental health?

While social media has become part of our routine and lifestyle, is there something deeper that keeps us coming back for more? Studies have shown that taking selfies can lead to mental health conditions centered on our increasing obsession with physical appearance.

Pamela Rutledge of Psychology Today explained the link very clearly:

“Selfies often evoke perceptions of self-absorption or attention-seeking social dependence, raising the specter of narcissism or extremely low self-esteem.”

Taking the perfect photo and getting enough ‘likes’ to feel attractive is what many people aim to achieve on a daily basis, so it’s no wonder we place such a strong need on the opinions of others with an easily accessible site. The application on our smartphones.

Understandably, this can go one of two ways – narcissism or depression.

Our addiction to selfies can lead us to gain confidence in our physical appearance, although there is a fine line between gaining confidence and relying on social media platforms to prove our worth, and if it goes too far, we may become narcissistic.

Second, the obsession with achieving the perfect image and the availability of images of others who we consider “perfect” can make us look at ourselves and feel as if we are not good enough.

The infographic below will look at the first of these scenarios by exploring the definition of narcissism, as well as the negative effects of specific social media platforms.