The science of selfies

            The rise in social media has brought with it a variety of fashions – some wonderful and others incredibly stupid – and new behaviour. For example, it now turns out that millions of humans are bizarrely obsessed with photos of cats! Another thing we’re obsessed with is photos of ourselves – selfies – taken with our mobile phones or tablets and posted on social networks. What could be more narcissistic?

            Some people hate selfies but many of us love them, and we probably all have friends who constantly post selfies on Facebook or Instagram. However, psychologists believe that people who post selfies might have self-esteem. What’s more, a recent study has shown that those people who post lots of selfies may have problems with intimacy and may be incapable of forming deep or close relationships with friends or colleagues. Our obsession with selfies reveals an inability to relate to other people properly.

            But why are some of us so fascinated by selfies? Scientists have known for a long time that, despite having mirrors in our houses, we humans don’t have a clear idea of what we really look like. Another experiment demonstrates that we think we are more attractive than we actually are. When we are shown various photos of our face, treated digitally to make us look better or worse, as well as a photo of our face that has not been changed, we are incapable of identifying the unaltered photo. We always choose a photo showing a better-looking version of ourselves.

            So we love selfies because we think we’re gorgeous but our obsession with selfies reveals an inability to have close relationships with other people. Maybe we should just stick to posting photos of cute cats!

Question 1: [2,5 POINTS] Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

      

  a) The author is not impressed by some of the fashions that social media have created.

  b) Posting selfies may reveal a negative side of someone’s personality.

  c) As Humans, we’re absolutely sure of what we look like in reality.

  d) the other experiments showed that we think  other people are more attractive than us.

  e) The author advises us no to post our selfies.

Question 2: [1,5 POINTS] Find words or phrases in the text that correspond to the words and definitions given.

      

a) many different types of (p.1)

b) belief and confidence in your own ability (p. 2)

c) unable to do something (p. 2)

d) unchanged (p.3)

e) very beautiful (p. 4)

Question 3: [2 POINTS] Choose the most suitable answer (a, b or c) according to the text.

1. According to the author narcissistic is

      a) photos taken with our mobile phones.

      b) social networks.

      c) posting photos of ourselves on social networks.

2. A variety of fashions

      a) has brought the rise of social media.

      b) has been brought with the rise of social media.

      c) has brought a new behaviour.

3. In the experiment there were photos

      a) that made the person look both better worse.

      b) that made the person look better only.

      c) that made the person look worse only.

4. The author asked

      a) why some of them were so fascinated by selfies.

      b) why were some of them so fascinated by selfies.

      c) if why some of them were so fascinated about selfies.

Question 4: [4 POINTS] Write a short essay (about 120-150 words) on the following topic:

                     Importance of appearance in our modern society.

KEY

Question 1: [2,5 POINTS] Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

      

       a)  True. a variety of fashions – some wonderful and others incredibly stupid

       b)  True. people who post selfies might have self-esteem. What’s more, a recent study has shown that those people who post lots of selfies may have problems with intimacy

       c) False. we humans don’t have a clear idea of what we really look like

       d) False. Another experiment demonstrates that we think we are more attractive than                we actually are.

       e) True. Maybe we should just stick to posting photos of cute cats!

Question 2: [1,5 POINTS] Find words or phrases in the text that correspond to the words and definitions given.

       a) variety

       b) self-steem

       c) incapable

       d) unaltered

       e) gorgeous

Question 3: [2 POINTS] Choose the most suitable answer (a, b or c) according to the text.

1    c) posting photos of ourselves on social networks.

2.   b) has been brought with the rise of social media.          

3.   a) that made the person look both better worse.

4.   a) why some of them were so fascinated by selfies.