ECU Expert Offers Tips For Selfies | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: The author of this post, Dr. Baker, is a contributor to ECU News Services.

    More than 26,000 ECU students are expected for the first day of classes Aug. 26. No doubt some of those students will take selfies as they move in, participate in orientation activities or attend the season's first football game. Many will post selfies with their new roommates, signaling a commitment to bond with this person, which could potentially have a positive impact on their relationship, says East Carolina University psychology assistant professor and social psychologist Dr. Michael Baker. Here, Baker offers five tips to help students make good choices when it comes to posting selfies:

• Safety first! People's capacity to pay attention to the things that are happening around them is very limited. Focusing on the task of taking a selfie makes people less aware of their surroundings, which can have dangerous and even deadly consequences. Make sure that you are out of the way of potential harm prior to holding up your phone.
• Be responsible about what you convey in your selfies. Self-presentation is an important element of human social behavior and selfies can be a powerful tool for letting others know how you define yourself. Employers sometimes screen personal social media to learn more about the character of job applicants. A selfie showing you hard at work in the library or volunteering could be beneficial whereas one displaying illegal or reckless behavior could be detrimental.
• Exercise moderation in posting selfies. People who constantly post pictures of themselves on social media can seem narcissistic and self-obsessed.
• Include others. Selfies don't have to be entirely selfish. Including friends and family in a selfie can signal to others that you have a bond with that person. This can serve to strengthen social relationships, which are important for psychological health and well-being.
• Keep it positive. Selfies can also be harmful to your relationships with others. When taking a selfie, don't include someone in the background who is in an embarrassing or compromising position. Put yourself in their shoes and think about how you would feel if the situation were reversed. Also, when commenting on other people's selfies, don't mock or insult them.