Women take seductive selfies to compete with other women and improve their social class in economically unequal environments, according to a new study conducted by an Australian university.
The study which was published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal found that women take seductive selfies to compete with other women in such unequal environments and not out of gender oppression.
According to the German News Agency, the researchers analyzed more than 68,000 sexualized self-portrait photographs, or selfies, posted on social media platforms, Instagram and Twitter, across 113 countries. They also looked at where in the world the most selfies were taken.
The researchers found that seductive-selfie prevalence and income inequality were directly related, especially in environments where incomes are unequal and people are preoccupied with relative social standing.
“We found no association with gender oppression,” the study said.
The study's lead author, Khandis Blake from University of New South Wales, said: “It's all about how women are competing and why they're competing,” noting that “it is more likely to invest time and effort into posting seductive selfies online in places where economic inequality is rising, and not in places where men hold more societal power and gender inequality is rife.”
