A new study conducted by researchers from Scotland's Heriot-Watt University found that too many Facebook "selfies" could destroy a person's real-life close relationships.
Social networking sites have taken the world by storm. They've become a hub for marketing, advertising, socializing and most importantly for sharing personal details about a person's everyday life with friends and family. Facebook is among the most popular social networking sites with over 51% of the American population above the age of 12 having Facebook profiles, according to an Edison Research report.
Though the site has become a popular place for dating and virtual relationships, researchers of a new study found that posting too many "selfies" on the site can hamper real-life relationships.
"Selfies" are pictures taken of oneself while holding the camera at arm's length. They are often associated with social networking sites. The term "camera raped" is also related to selfies and refers to the action when too many selfies are taken.
"People, other than very close friends and relatives, don't seem to relate well to those who constantly share photos of themselves," the lead researcher, Dr. David Houghton, said in a press release. Houghton is a marketing lecturer from Birmingham Business School. "It's worth remember that the information we post to our 'friends' on Facebook, actually gets viewed by lots of different categories of people; partners; family; colleagues and acquaintances; and each group seems to take a different view of the information shared."
Researchers of the study also found that partners who shared more photographs of events saw a decrease in intimacy. Close friends who shared more photographs of friends found that it had a negative impact on the quality of that relationship.
Also, brands that encourage fans to post pictures of themselves are at a higher risk of damaging relationship with their "fans."
"While benefitting brand awareness and critical mass of a Facebook fan page for a brand, organisation or cause, sharing photographs may be harmful to those asked to participate," the report stated.
