Show Your Best Self(ie): An Exploratory Study on Typical Selfie-Makers and Their Selfie Behavior

• In Event: ICA Plenary Interactive Paper/Poster Session II
  In Interactive Paper Session: Mass Communication Interactive Poster Session

Abstract

Self-presentation has been studied for decades, while SNS such as Facebook more recently added another component here: visual online self-presentation. Herein, the current hype of posting selfies on social media is typical, although selfie-behavior is hardly studied. The present study aimed to profile ‘typical’ selfie-makers, and examine the extent to which underlying selfie-related behaviors leading up to actual selfie-posting are interconnected. An exploratory survey profiled ‘typical’ selfie-makers as mainly concerned with the social aspects of selfies (e.g., making selfies with friends and family), while entertainment and retention of moments are main reasons for selfie-taking. Findings further confirmed the newly developed Selfie-Stadium Model which represents various stages of selfie-taking and its underlying motives, as well as selfie-selection and selfie-editing before actual self-presentation through online selfie-posting occurs. This first study on profiling selfie-makers and their selfie-behavior tapped into a new media effects research domain and holds promising implications for future research.

Authors

• Nadia Bij de Vaate, VU U Amsterdam

• Jolanda Veldhuis, VU U Amsterdam

• Elly A. Konijn, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam