A study by the University of New South Wales in Australia has looked into a major phenomenon of our times, the 'sexy selfie'.
The study looked at the socio-economic influences on these selfies and who is actually taking them.
The researchers looked at tens of thousands of selfies taken from across the world, 113 countries to be exact, and listed whether they were deliberately trying to be sexually provocative.
They found that the areas with the most 'sexy selfies' were those areas where there is greater economic inequality, and not where women are suppressed because of their gender.
Dr. Khandis Blake, who was the lead researcher, said:
"We looked at where in the world these things happened most. The number one way that psychologists usually look at women's preoccupation with their appearance is that it happens because of patriarchal pressures – that women live in societies that value their appearance more than their other qualities. The argument is usually that when you see sexualisation, you see disempowerment."
He went on:
"What we found instead is that women are more likely to invest time and effort into posting sexy selfies online in places where economic inequality is rising, and not in places where men hold more societal power and gender inequality is rife."
The researchers found that the findings are true even across countries and that this is because inequality raises anxiety, making people sensitive as to where on the social ladder they sit.
Blake added:
"Rightly or wrongly, in today's environment, looking sexy can generate large returns, economically, socially, and personally. That income inequality is a big predictor of sexy selfies suggest that sexy selfies are a marker of social climbing among women that tracks economic incentives in the local environment. In evolutionary terms, these kind of behaviours are completely rational, even adaptive. The basic idea is that the way people compete for mates, and the things they do to put themselves at the top of the hierarchy are really important. This is where this research fits in – it's all about how women are competing and how they are competing. So when a young woman adjusts her bikini provocatively with her phone at the ready, don't think of her as vacuous or a victim."
[h/r: Business Insider]
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