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A new study shows that people who are constantly taking photos of themselves at the gym may have a bit of a psychological condition.
Thanks to social media everyone is now a photographer, and if you're somewhat attractive and/or physically fit, then you're a model -- and your favorite subject -- too. Thanks to the iPhone, the "camera" of choice for these amateur photogs, the only thing necessary is a mirror, and we know that the gym has plenty of them!
The mirrors used to be for people to make sure they're lifting and working out properly, but now they have a second use: showing off how awesome you are because you work out.
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Brunel University London is a public research university located in Uxbridge, London, United Kingdom. This university recently did a study about taking selfies while working out and they came up with some pretty shocking results. The study showed that people who post gym selfies may have a psychological condition!
It's not just the celebs who are doing this. They want attention any way they can get it. Just ask Kim.
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Selfies are a trend that have reached all the corners of the world in a very short time. The idea of taking self-portraits everywhere one goes has affected a large portion of the population. Whether it's while at a party or on a vacation, you always see people taking selfies.
Some people are so addicted to selfies that they take dozens of them at the most trivial moments in their lives -- like just after waking up, in their workplace and before going to bed!
Not only do they take selfies, but they share them on social media websites like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc., for the whole world to see them.
And some publish books.
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Brunel University London focused on a particular type of selfie and the people who post them. They did a study to determine the effects of posting selfies taken at the gym and the state of mind of the people who post them on social media.
The results?
The results were somewhat astonishing. The study revealed that these people actually have a psychological form of self-admiration and in many cases many of these people showed narcissistic traits.
They constantly brag on various social media platforms about their fitness. It begins by posting some random gym selfie which is well received by their family and attracts strangers.
Everyone loves it when they receive attention from others, so it leads to them posting at least one selfie per gym visit. Soon they develop narcissism and even start criticizing others who are not so keen in physical fitness like them. They are often seen arguing fervently with people who ask them not to flaunt their fitness on social media.
It's kinda like all the people who constantly complain about stuff on Facebook.
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The narcissism doesn't end there though. Gym rats then start posting about their diets and their routine. Activity then goes up on their social media pages again, satisfying their need for attention.
The study showed that their narcissism is not only seen in gym selfies and other health related posts, but also on other posts too. While this boosts their ego, the study suggested that their friends are just merely being polite on their faces but actually have started disliking their egotistical displays.
The main question that is left unanswered is that if these people use social media as a means to satisfy their narcissistic traits or social media is responsible for generating narcissism in them.
It will be interesting to see whether this psychological condition of people posting gym selfies will somewhat decline or continue to increase in future. Our money is on increase.
Blac Chyna: former nobody, current celeb thanks to the Kardashians and the media.
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