Research Says Men Who Take Selfies Have Psychopathic Tendencies

Beware of the Tinder match who posts a lot of selfies.

New research from a team at The Ohio State University shows men who take frequent selfies display higher than average psychopathic tendencies, while those editing their photos before uploading are more self-objectifying.

Whether the pictures were edited or #NoFilter, both selfie-posting groups were more narcissistic than the average male.

The team, led by researcher Jesse Fox, asked 800 men between the ages of 18 and 40 to respond to a digital survey about social media use and anti-social behavior.

Before you start worrying you're dating the next Ted Bundy, however, you should note all personalities were within the range of normal behavior.

Elevated psychopathic traits don't necessarily make you a cold-blooded killer.

What's most interesting about Fox's conclusions is her revelation men actually do self-objectify fairly often, especially in such an image-obsessed culture.

Because self-doubt and constant nitpicking can lead to self-harm and body dysmorphia, Fox hopes to gain a better understanding of the way selfies and social media change male behavior.

In a press release, Fox said,

We know that self-objectification leads to a lot of terrible things, like depression and eating disorders in women... With the growing use of social networks, everyone is more concerned with their appearance. That means self-objectification may become a bigger problem for men.

Her next project? A comparable selfie study involving exclusively women, which she says is already revealing increased narcissistic traits.

Blame that front-facing camera all you want, but your personality changes a little with each selfie you snap.

Citations: Men who post lots of selfies are more likely to be psychopaths (Metro)