We ask you right now, how many photos of you are on your phone right now? We can all agree lots of those photos are selfies—self-portraits, usually taken with a camera or a smartphone. As of this writing, nearly 300 million Instagram photos had been tagged with the selfie label. We love getting into the “whys” of social media psychology. It’s become somewhat common to think of those who post selfies as narcissistic or vain, but one great effect of selfies is that they can bolster self-esteem, particularly in women more than men. They are an instant confidence boost in almost any situation. Headed to work? Selfie. Did your makeup perfectly? Selfie. Procrastinating something? Selfie. Selfies challenge the idea that you need a justification to be seen. You’re announcing that you exist in the world and are going about your day.

Strategic selfies can also change the way you perceive yourself, both literally and metaphorically. Various effects like lighting, angles, and filters can turn your selfie into a work of art. It is very rare to look at someone’s social media profiles and not run into, at minimum, one or two selfies. Ironically, while everyone loves to take selfies, not everyone likes to see them, but we still have an obsession with them. In fact, people who take selfies on a daily basis are often seen as narcissistic and self-absorbed. Obviously, this is something we disagree with! It’s a part of our modern culture that we all engage in without any real thought, because, well, everyone else is. Occasionally, it’s in the name of charity, like the noble no-make up selfies. Selfies seem to have bypassed the standard social norms and barriers of ageism and cool-ism. Teens are obsessed, parents think it’s funny to get involved in the trend, celebrities were made for them and even hipsters take them semi-ironically. They seem to fit everyone to the point where selfies take up all our social media news feeds, As much as we love taking selfies, is it really a good thing?

Well, after you check out this short, 2-minute film, we're pretty sure you're gonna change your mind. This "selfie from hell" clip will give you the jitters, so be careful when taking selfies alone, especially in the dark, because you'll never know what's lurking behind you when you snap that phone to take a picture of yourself. What do you think of the video? Do you like to take selfies? Especially when alone? Let us know your thoughts by leaving us a comment down below!