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“Selfies undisguised”

An in-depth psychological-representative study by Lönneker & Imdahl rheingold salon on

behalf of IKW – The German Cosmetic, Toiletry, Perfumery and Detergent Association.

85% of the young people take selfies. However, only 27% admit that selfies have a central

significance for them. The in-depth psychological survey brings the whole truth to light: for

most of them, selfie making is first embarrassing. Therefore they reinterpret the pictures by

stating “I do not take selfies, these are portraits.”

The secrets of selfie mania have been decoded by IKW in co-operation with Lönneker &

Imdahl rheingold salon in an in-depth psychological-representative study. Adolescents and

young adults aged between 14 and 21 years were again placed on the couch after the large

IKW youth study “Youth undisguised” in 2016. The results were then underpinned in a

representative manner by a national online survey.

The study shows in an undisguised and open manner why young people can sometimes

hardly live without selfies, how a whole generation defines itself through selfies, the codes

they use and how much they are in love with themselves. The Generation Selfie controls

every single picture down to the slightest detail, and experiences itself mainly in a flashback.

Decorative cosmetics and makeup are important aids to look good and control the

appearance in a conscious manner.

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1. Generation Selfie – young people between adaptation and delimitation

85% take selfies, 39% every week, 26% every day, 14% even several times a day! Only 15% of

the online respondents state that they do not take any selfies. For the latter it is, however, a

question of interpretation of the term. Because 87% admit that they are actually

represented on the photos.

Despite this particular relevance, most young people do not want to come out as selfie

makers. It is embarrassing for them to admit the relevance of these special pictures for their

life. In the in-depth psychological survey they partly “deny” completely that they actually

take selfies.

What is the underlying reason? What is so embarrassing for young people in respect of the

obvious? After all they post the selfies and show themselves for everybody.

Selfies serve, as the name suggests, to “find oneself”. And self-discovery takes place, in

psychological terms, almost always by delimitation from others: from parents, friends or

teachers; what counts is to be different from others and to be something special. At the

same time the young people want to be part of their group, friends or the community on the

internet. They want to align themselves to trends, they know what is hip and want to show

it. Adaptation is in the same way part of their self-discovery.

The selfie hype moves likewise between these poles: young people actually do not want to

have anything to do with the selfie hype, they want to delimit themselves. However, at the

same time, they want to be part and parcel of it and adjust to it – frequently –

unconsciously.

Hardly any young person sustains the statement “I do not take any selfies” for a long time.

But nobody wants to come out as a genuine selfie junkie. Selfies are simply “reinterpreted”:

faces become “portraits”, designated as “photos with friends and myself” or seen as “photos

of my experiences / trips” – all “selfies” which are no longer called selfies. Reinterpretation

as a perfect possibility to take selfies and nonetheless distance oneself from them.

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2. Selfie Codes – the secret youth language

When taking selfies young people want to find on the one hand an individual style and

express their personality. At the same time, they know and comply with the secret codes of

their generation. They know what is in or out in terms of selfies and delimit themselves from

older people.

50% of all respondents believe that they can easily identify whether a selfie is up to date or

rather “fully 2015”. For 52% it is clear that parents do not know the zeitgeist codes and look

oddly into the camera. For 41% selfies of the parents are even embarrassing.

The secret code of a perfect selfie is found – just like self-discovery itself – as a middle way

between individualisation and adaptation. Here some “decoded” codes of an up to date

selfie:

• Background must be visible

• Look beside the camera

• Snapshot or staging?

Both are possible, openness is important!

• Individual idea – but not too extreme

Posing belongs likewise to the codes: 57% of the girls and 51% of the boys pay close

attention to the way they stage themselves. An appealing staging of the context or

background is very important for 71% of the boys and 60% of the girls.

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Young people not only decode the codes of the selfies of others. They go one step further:

52% believe that they can read the personality of their counterpart from a selfie – at least

the degree of narcissism.

3. Infatuation with selfies – longing for recognition and fame

The type and number of selfies show how “embarrassingly” in love with themselves the

others are and the way they are only after likes and recognition. 65%, therefore, consider

the number of selfies to be an indicator for an excessive narcissism. 75% criticise the strong

desire for recognition by others.

“Every day a picture. This is extreme narcissism – even if one loves to look at oneself. That’s

simply embarrassing.”

The criticism voiced in respect of the number and type of selfies can be quite harsh.

“Somebody writes “Thank you for 500 followers”. This is ridiculous, I mean 500 that’s

nothing.”

These statements show how young people ward off externally what drives themselves.

Because the own dealing with selfies has in most cases extremely narcissistic traits. In

particular, if a selfie is so good that it meets one’s own ideals. Consequently, the number of

likes means a lot for the respondents: likes and comments even enhance the own narcissism

and become motivators for even more selfies.

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The number of likes must, therefore, be permanently increased, to feel the necessary

recognition. There is a hidden or open flirting with the wish of becoming famous as an

influencer or through postings:

“Well I actually had once m ore than 2,000 followers on Insta. I was 12. But after that I no

longer posted anything.”

And 30% of the young people consider fame as an explicit goal in life (10 years ago this

applied to only 14%!).

4. Selfie experience: life in a flashback

A selfie records a moment for later – one wants to remember the alleged experience.

However, one can also withdraw from direct experiences through a self-photo. One is not

really in the activity. 68% believe that so many selfies are taken that one no longer notices

what is going on around oneself.

Many young people no longer dare to deal with the immediate happenings. 66% appreciate

in particular that through the subsequent viewing of their selfies they actually realise what

they experienced. In the same way 44% believe that an experience is only great if many

others like it.

Without the confirmation by likes the own experience appears to be without any value: “For

my holiday pictures I had only 25 likes – the others had more than 50 – this meant for me

that my vacation had definitely not gone well.” When looking at the selfies, one does not

remember the actual experience but what one would have liked to experience. Young

people can define through selfies what they want to experience and how they want to be.

5. Selfie control

Young people control through selfies their experience of the respective moment. The

paradoxical situation of taking the selfie oneself and at the same time watching oneself on

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the selfie from the angle of the beholder creates an additional distance to one’s own

experience – and additional control.

An extreme desire for control is hidden behind the selfie hype. As already shown in the IKW

youth study “Youth undisguised”, many young people often consider themselves to be at the

mercy of their environment and are therefore looking for security. They want to have their

own life and experiences strictly under control. Selfies provide another good opportunity for

that.

Control and ideal self-portrayal are the main motives for selfie making. Here young people

experience themselves as the sole authors of their life.

They not only control their own facial expressions and gestures but also their friends,

colleagues and partners are properly positioned on the photo.

In order to stage the selfies really well and hence control self-discovery, self-experience and

narcissism, young people use many aids such as filters, makeup techniques or perspectives.

The big concern is to be seen differently as one wants to be seen. Or even worse: not to be

liked.

6. Selfie making of – the constructed naturalness

Before a selfie is posted, it must be perfect. Nothing is left to chance: 45% of all girls admit

to taking more than 50 selfies before one of them is posted. For 18% it is even more than

100. 22% of the boys take more than 50 selfies; 16% also more than 100.

In the same way the time expenditure is very high and shows the high need for control: 40%

of the girls need at least 30 minutes for a selfie, 15% even an hour or more.

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However, these efforts must not be visible on the selfie. Despite an excessive control of

every single detail, the picture is to be at the end of the day “very naturally”. Because girls

and boys assess themselves mutually according to whether a selfie appears to be posed or

authentic. It is paradoxical to observe that naturalness is desired by boys and girls – but is

first constructed in a sophisticated process by styling and makeup.

62% of the girls are styling and making themselves up in such a way that afterwards it is not

apparent. 65% of the girls assert that they would also post a selfie on which they are not

made up. But the efforts made in terms of styling, makeup and use of decorative cosmetics

for a selfie proves the contrary. The feeling for undisguised naturalness has been lost at a

time of filters and with the wish to appear flawless. Boys believe, for instance, when looking

at some of the photos without makeup, that this must be a sick girl.

Makeup serves for the control of the selfie – it may not take centre stage itself – unless the

girls are beauty bloggers or YouTubers. It is to contribute to the controlling of the staging –

and comply with the codes to be met.

True (selfie) beauty comes, according to the young people, from the outside and is feasible.

Against this backdrop cosmetic surgery is accepted as well. At present every fourth young

person surveyed would have plastic surgery if he or she had the necessary money.

Conclusion

The Generation Selfie controls its appearance to have a “controlled contact” – with itself and

others.

Selfies are today part of the self-discovery of young people – between adaptation and

delimitation. The young people use selfie codes like a kind of secret language and delimit

themselves from the parent generation. In this connection selfies are the expression of

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extreme narcissism – and at the same time longing for recognition by others. For many –

30% of all young people – they include the promise of becoming famous.

With selfies young people try to get control over their life and experience. Because when

taking selfies nothing is left to chance. The perfect staging includes a careful styling, a

masterful posing, an optimum background as well as the right look into the camera.

Cosmetic products help to stage oneself skilfully in front of the camera and feel good. The

immediate experience can hence be controlled through the selfie. Only through the number

of likes young people “learn” subsequently whether the experience they made was a good

one. A life / experience in the flashback is a controlled, nice and safe life that can be self-

designed in the largest possible manner. With selfies it is possible to deal with one’s feelings,

one’s appearance and other people in a controlled manner.

The study deepens central findings of the large IKW youth study “Youth undisguised” of

2016 which emphasised how important it is for young people to win back control over their

own life.

Because contrary to previous generations, the young people feel a loss of control on at least

three levels: on the physical, the social and the family level. Through care and cosmetic

products they can strengthen their self-consciousness and regain control over a part of their

life. This is equally elementary for boys and girls today.

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Study Facts & Figures:

• 1,000 persons interviewed aged between 14 and 21 years in the representative online

panel.

• 20 persons interviewed in the in-depth psychological face to face interviews.

This study was conducted by Lönneker & Imdahl rheingold salon on behalf of IKW

Contacts for the study

Ines Imdahl

Managing Director Lönneker & Imdahl rheingold salon

Imdahl@rheingold-salon.de

Birgit Huber

Competence Partner Beauty Care within IKW

bhuber@ikw.org