Last Updated on August 30, 2023 by Angela Vaz

Why are girls always taking selfies?

Whether they are young or middle-aged, you notice that women love taking photos of themselves.

Maybe it irritates you or frustrates you or you’re just plain curious as to what is driving them to take so many pictures of themselves.

In this post, that’s what I want to talk about.

I’m going to divulge 7 main reasons why she takes a lot of pictures of herself.

Let’s begin.

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There have been many studies done over the years and it has been found that women do infact post more pictures of themselves online than men.

Women who have large followings on social networks often give a lot more attention to their appearance.

They want to look a certain way because they feel looks are an important factor to consider when posting a photo online.

1. The media is mostly responsible

the media is mostly to blame

Take any movie in the 30s or 60s or 90s.

More importance is given to finding an actress who looks pretty as opposed to her male counterpart.

Beauty has always been given priority throughout the years when it comes to marketing, movies, media, etc because beauty sells.

Sex sells.

This has corrupted our views of what women should look like and it sucks.

All my life I grew up believing that curly hair was ugly or unattractive because every actress on the main screen had straight hair or straightened hair.

This led to a negative bias around curly hair, dark skin, and other characteristics that stray from the norms.

Beauty is definitely subjective.

But if we are subjected to years of indoctrination, it slowly seeps in and sets a whole new standard of beauty in the minds of the masses.

We are the masses.

This has led to almost every woman questioning their beauty.

Nowadays many companies are taking a stand and trying to cast more average-looking (people who don’t fall in the standard “exceptionally beautiful” set) and are able to connect more with audiences.

However, this shift is going to take a long time.

Until then, women in general still feel that they are not “pretty enough” or “beautiful enough” and this creates very low self-esteem.

2. Unrealistic views

unrealistic views

Most photos of celebrities are retouched and they almost always have makeup on, even if it is a “natural look.”

This has again led to women feeling like they can never match up.

So women take more photos to post on social media to get validation from their friends and peers.

It helps make them feel beautiful.

Taking photos also helps women see how they look to others – it’s more about proving that they do have something to offer to the world.

It’s not a sign of narcissism always – infact, it rarely is the issue.

By constantly taking photos and competing with others, they begin to feel like they can somehow catch up to a standard that is set themselves based on what they see on social media.

It’s a vicious cycle.

3. Beauty is given a lot of importance

beauty is given a lot of importance

I’ve spoken to many beautiful people and whether they have the personality or kindness to match their beauty, they always seem to get to places easier than their peers.

This is because beauty is given importance in this world.

It’s easier to escape a ticket when you can use your beauty to charm an officer of the law.

It’s easier to get discounts and promotions.

My own fiance has told me that many women have used their beauty to get promotions in his workplace and it’s a well-known fact.

I’m not generalizing by saying all beautiful people abuse this power, but it certainly does help.

So one reason why she takes a lot of pictures of herself is that it sells.

Those photos get more likes and recognition, it gets more attention.

She is basically giving the masses what they want.

And when a person starts to realize that those photos do better on social media, it prompts them to… you guessed it – take more photos!

4. Lack of self-worth

lack of self worth

Every influencer in today’s day and age places a high importance on looks.

They don’t want to showcase cellulite, stretch marks, or acne because it doesn’t “look pretty.”

That’s acceptable, it’s their choice.

But what happens is when they keep posting “perfect” pictures of themselves, young girls associate this beauty with getting everything they desire.

They start to connect influencers being rich and making money to being beautiful.

So, they indirectly start placing higher importance on looks because they believe that being beautiful will get them the same fame, glory, attention, and power as these influencers.

As I said earlier, beauty sells.

Sex sells.

So, this is one of the reasons why she takes a lot of pictures of herself.

5. Marketability

marketability

When big companies create products, they want to sell those products to the masses in a cheap and effective way.

Beauty products are easier to sell than most because they prey on vulnerability and the need to look beautiful.

Let’s take a small example.

Most women fear growing older.

Why?

Because younger women are treated with more attention and importance than older women in companies, offices, or even movies.

A model is useful as long as she’s in her 20s. As soon as she starts reaching 35, she becomes dispensable.

So, anti-aging products help target these women – women who don’t want to age for fear of losing their place in the world.

It’s easier to sell products that prey on fear.

It’s easier to sell a weight-loss product when you show a woman who was heavier before but rapidly lost weight within a month – the stark contrast will have people rushing to buy the product.

Because they want to be the “After.”

They want to be beautiful.

It’s easier to sell success stories than failure stories.

So a lot of people take photos and share them on social media when they’re closer to achieving a goal.

Sometimes, it helps keep them accountable because they feel like they’re answerable to the public.

Women who are into fitness and coach or sell supplements have to be in shape and constantly share photos of their bodies and their lifestyle.

It’s just how it works.

6. To show people she is happy

she just wants to show others she is happy

I know a woman personally who has a very unhappy marriage.

She stays with her husband only for his money and she’s told me and a lot of people that.

But she doesn’t want anyone to think she’s miserable or pity her.

So, she continues to post a photo every day of herself at the beach, at a restaurant, or at a spa.

She travels the world and takes beautiful exotic photos of her locations while she wears a new dress in every single photo.

Anybody seeing those photos will think she’s one of the happiest people in the world.

But only I and a few others know the truth.

Some people need to prove to the world that they are happy and satisfied although, in reality, it couldn’t be further from the truth.

7. They just love taking photos

they just love taking photos

It’s easy to assume the worst in people and constantly judge others for taking a lot of photos.

I personally get annoyed when my friends want to take photos. I am camera shy and I don’t like taking photos of any kind unless my dogs are the subject.

But I know people who take photos only because they want to remember that day or that occasion.

They’re just comfortable being the main subject of their photos and there is nothing wrong with that.

Some women are very comfortable in their skin and love taking photos to appreciate their beauty.

This is something that doesn’t get talked about enough.

It’s like a person playing guitar because he genuinely enjoys music.

He doesn’t always play it for the fans and the money.

It’s kind of like that.

So, not every reason has to be bad.

To each his own -I always say.

Takeaway

All in all, every cause has an effect.

If you see women taking a lot of photos, you can’t assume you know the reason.

It could be an effect due to years of indoctrination that has simply led to the thought that she is not enough and she needs to do better.

Or, she is promoting a product and knows that the only way people will buy is if they can see the results.

Or she could just be enjoying herself and loving the photos she takes.

I hope this post helped you understand why she takes a lot of pictures of herself.

The only way we can truly make a mark on people is to try to be more kind and authentic – this will eventually help people realize there is more to the world than being beautiful and it will help little girls understand that beauty is infact skin deep.

Angela is a 30 year old Illustrator and Blogger living with her 2 adorable labradors in Bangalore, India. She has a degree in Psychology and Human Relationships from the University of Toronto. When she's not writing her heart out or drawing, you'll find her sipping chai and reading non-fiction books.

4 Comments

  1. Loved the last point! I am the kind of woman who loves revisiting the past via photos. So even if I am uncomfortable at times, I don’t say no to a photo. Of course, moodiness and awkwardness win sometimes!

    • Hey Mahevash,

      I’m glad you loved the post. I felt it was necessary to talk about why women take photos because there is so much stigma that surrounds this and it’s often portrayed in a bad light. I really want to bring a change in the way people think.

      I take photos to remember things too. I still look at selfies of my late mom and me and it brings me so much peace knowing that I will always have her with me. Photos bring so much joy!

      I used to say no to photos, but I am trying to change that because there’s not much to lose!

      Love,
      Angela

  2. Well done! Your insight here is food for thought. I happen to think the same media and societal pressures are present for men too. I mean, look at male actors and muscle-bound male models. I can only speak for myself, but somehow men, are somewhat ashamed of being seen taking photos of themselves. Seems really feminine and that is not a trait most men want to convey. My girlfriend often asks me to send photos of myself in public and I decline. I do it because I feel it’s just way too narcissistic and makes me feel kinda cheap. I’m glad she also does very little of that herself. I wouldn’t be with her if she were that type. It’s her modesty integrity and sense of purpose I find attractive. If more people recognized their own amazing character traits and highlighted that aspect of their personality in social media, they would be unstoppable!

    • Hey Steek,

      Thank you very much. I think a lot of people (not just men) feel very conscious about taking photos. I for one am very conscious and I rarely take photos of myself due to the fact I feel like people are watching and judging. But I don’t feel this way when I’m taking 1000 photos of my dogs, lol.

      My partner feels the same. I ask him for photos of himself, and he’s usually shy. I feel in general, we should stop worrying about what other people think and just focus on being our best selves for the sole purpose of being better human beings.

      Warm regards,
      Angela

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