There's A Scientific Reason for Why You Look Weird In Selfies
There are many reasons why you look weird in selfies. Sometimes it's simply because you have a weird-looking face (sorry, guys.) Sometimes it's because you're a trend-following New York TimesStyle Section reader who knows ugly (and preferably monocled) is the new pretty. Sometimes it's because you posted like this:
But Nolan Feeney at The Atlantic says that there's a completely separate reason why photo subjects think they look a little off in their selfies. And that reason is science. Specifically, the science of the brain.We are used to identifying with our faces as they would appear in a mirror, but when we take a selfie, the camera captures our faces as strangers would see us from head on rather than we would see ourselves in a reflection. Emotionally unprepared to see our unsymmetrical faces tilting in a slightly different way, we sometimes approach selfies with confusion and disdain.There's also the technical issue of our close-range camera phone lenses distorting our faces.But is this a reason to say no to the selfie for self-preservation's sake? Hogwash. While some say selfies make people narcissistic, others say that they actually make them more comfortable in their own skin. Because the more times you take a selfie, the more comfortable you are seeing your face in all angles.And as long as your hair looks good, who cares about the other stuff, anyway?
