Selfies are more than a form of vanity

It's neither narcissism nor self-empowerment. People are using selfies as a tool as part of their everyday life. An Australian National University (ANU) study analysing more than 5,000 Instagram selfies has found that 75 per cent of selfies are posted by women, and around one in 10 is posted by users purely looking to build an audience, usually in the hope of attracting paid endorsements or 'insta-fame'. The study's co-authors, Dr Toni Eagar and Dr Stephen Dann of the ANU College of Business and Economics, said they also found users are successfully mimicking the marketing practices of businesses in a bid to build their profile. "These are people selling a view of their lifestyle or themselves, and the currency of the transaction is likes and follows. The aim is to build an audience and establish a type of fame or admiration on social media," Dr Eagar said. "This is a commercial exchange, just like small business activity.
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