GENERAL ELECTIVE

ENGLISH LANGUAGE THROUGH

LITERATURE
Internal Assessment

Article - “Selfitis”
BY- SARAH KNAPTON
[Summary]

By – Tulika Sahu
Roll no. – 762
B.A. Program (History + Political Science)
Sarah Knapton, a science editor, has written an article on an
online news portal, The Telegraph . This article is focused on
the "Selfitis" mental illness, which is characterised by an
obsession with taking selfies. This article covers the nature of
selfitis, relevance in today’s world, methods of measurement,
traits of those affected, and other technology related mental
disorders.

Selfitis is a real mental illness, and people who feel

compelled to share images of themselves on social media
frequently may require support, according to experts.

In 2014, reports in national and international media claimed

that the American Psychiatric Association will classify the
obsession with snapping selfies as a mental disorder called
"selfitis," which might be borderline, acute, or chronic. This
was the first time this term ‘Selfitis’ was harmed. But later
this story was considered a hoax.

However, that did not stop

researchers from looking into the matter. Two Indian
institutes, Nottingham Trent University and Thiagarajar
School of Management, made the decision to do tests to
ascertain the reality.
Even if the story turned out to be a hoax, selfitis is still a real
disorder, according to Dr. Mark Griffiths, Distinguished
Professor of Behavioural Addiction at Nottingham Trent
University. Thus, they created the "Selfitis Behaviour Assess"
to scale a person's inclination and its severity in a valid and
reliable manner.

Indian students were the intended audience because they ar

e the country with the highest Facebook users (Simon 2017).
It's also important to remember that trying to take a selfie in
a dangerous situation can sometimes result in death, and Indi
a accounts for the majority of selfie-related fatalities globally.

She lists the traits of those with selfitis, including the fact that
they were attention seekers, frequently low in self-
confidence, and wanting to improve their social status and fe
el like a member of a group by consistently posting photogra
phs of oneself. Dr Janarthanan Balakrishnan, a research assoc
iate from Nottingham Trent’s Department of Psychology, said
: “Typically, those with the condition suffer from a lack of self
-
confidence and are seeking to ‘fit in’ with those around them,
and may display symptoms similar to other potentially addicti
ve behaviours.
Nomophobia, Technoference, and Cyberchondria are some o
f the other technology
related mental diseases covered in the article.

Nomophobia, the fear of not having a phone nearby, technof

erence, the continual presence of technology in daily life, and
cyberchondria, the feeling of being ill after looking up signs of
illness online.
Researchers have expressed scepticism regarding the claim t
hat taking selfies is a mental disease.

"The research reveals that people take selfies to boost their

mood, draw attention to themselves, increase their self confi
dence, and interact with their environment," said Sir Simon
Wessely, Professor of Psychological Medicine at King's Colleg
e London.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists spokesperson Dr. Mark Salt
er added: "Selfitis doesn't exist, and it shouldn't exist.
Conclusion
Selfitis is a new addiction brought on by the Social
Networking Sites (SNS) and Smartphone's explosive growth
and popularity. The current generation is glued to technology
and preoccupied with taking selfies. Selfies taken and posted
online have an effect on how individuals present themselves.
Individuals who spend hours on social media platforms (SNS)
waiting for a response experience emotion of loneliness.
While some individuals accept the notion of "Selfitis" as
genuine and true, others reject it.