Instagram has over 270 million posts with the selfie hashtag. Numerous Facebook users set selfies as their profile pictures. Snapchat has special filters for selfie-takers, ranging from flower crowns to rainbow vomit. The world has come a long way from taking pixelated pictures by using the back side of a flip phone.

Selfies, however, are more forced than photographs are. Although they both capture moments in life, the sense of naturality is lost when people snap countless shots of themselves to get that one perfect picture and even more so when filters and edits are applied.

“I think [editing and snapchat filters] are good if it’s a certain amount, but then if it goes a little too far, then it might lead to criticism of yourself,” junior Haemin Jeong said. Jeong considers taking selfies a good way to express herself and leave memories.

Senior Kush Shanker considers selfies to be similar to works of art.

“A selfie reminds you of what you look like and what you’re happy with,” Shanker said. “I don’t think of it as a ‘basic’ thing to do, it’s more of just showing yourself ‘Hey, this is my face, this is what I’m taking a picture of.’”

Selfies give people the opportunity to put themselves on social media and let others know what’s going on with their lives. Sharing selfies, whether smiley, silly, or anywhere in between, allows them to share those little moments. ‘I feel attractive today,’ the selfie expresses. ‘I went to a concert with my friends.’ ‘I finished a run and I feel accomplished.’

But then there’s that one person who lives on the Internet, constantly posting selfies to Twitter or changing their Facebook profile pictures every few days. A selfie to show the world we think we look good one day doesn’t do any harm, but over-sharing can lead to narcissism.

In a study done by the University of Toronto, 100 regular selfie-takers and 98 non-selfie-takers were asked to take a selfie and have their picture taken by another person. The photos were reviewed by the participants and the public, and the results showed that the selfie-takers tended to think they looked better in their selfies than in photos of themselves taken by others.

“There’s a line you draw where it becomes cocky and narcissistic,” senior Lillian Wu said. “Obviously, body love is something where it’s really hard to obtain… but I think there needs to be a line drawn between cockiness and just confidence.”

Another study done by Ohio State University surveyed 800 men and found that editing and posting selfies was associated with narcissism and self-objectification, leading to greater obsession with self-image and higher chances of forming shallow relationships. People not only want to feel good about themselves, but to seek others’ approval as well. But when does selfie-taking become excessive?

“It becomes narcissism when your selfies become your trophy, like you’re just showing it off,” Shanker said. “There’s nothing wrong with promoting yourself as long as it’s not at the expense of others.”

And not with the intent of spamming people’s feeds with pictures of your face. It’s natural for individuals to want to fit in and share their lives with others, whether it’s in person or online. ‘Basic’ as selfies may be because they are so mainstream, the stream of compliments that come with posting a selfie encourages people to maintain positive self-images.

“Seeing a close up picture of your own face and willingly showing it to thousands of people with one click is a form of self-confidence that I don’t think should be quickly dismissed,” said Molly Fosco of The Huffington Post in an article titled ‘Taking a Selfie Has More to Do With Self Worth Than You Realize’. Even though there may be underlying traces of narcissism in selfies, it’s generally an honest attempt to boost self esteem.

Studies have shown that seven in 10 girls believe that they are not good enough or don’t measure up in some ways, physical appearance being one of them. 40 percent of women and 20 percent of men stated that they would consider getting cosmetic surgery in the future. Media is quick to judge others on their appearance, and increasing numbers of teenagers and adults have issues with body image.

In a world where media is negatively impacting people’s self-confidence, selfies may be what we need to to rebuild that self-confidence. Wu is aware that many people struggle with feeling good about themselves, and encourages selfie-taking if it helps them feel better.

“It’s only narcissistic if you make it narcissistic,” Shanker said.

All selfies used with the owners’ permission.