Experts: Selfie Obsessed Millennials Increasingly Opt For Plastic Surgery
NEW YORK(CBSNewYork) -- Posting selfies on social networking sites is one way to document what you do, but is it also a barometer of who you are?
From popularity to net worth, some say the self portraits of the millennial generation say it all.
"It's kind of just become like our own brand. We take pictures of what we wear,where we eat, what we do, when we do it," Sabina Vanegas told CBS2's Meg Baker.
Selfies make keeping up with the Joneses a whole lot easier, or harder, depending on who you ask.
"I think it does put a lot more pressure because there's a bunch of photos being taken of you. You just have to look good all the time," Melissa Jimenez said.
The pressure is so much for some that plastic surgeons say selfies are actually boosting their business.
"I see a lot more people coming to my office and the answer to the question, 'What bothers you, and why did you decide to come and see me?' surprising enough is, 'I saw a selfie of myself and I hated it, I have to fix it,'" Dr. Nicholas Nikolov said.
Nikolov is currently consulting with 23-year-old model Candice Wurster, who he said hates the shadows under her eyes in her selfies.
How is it that people are actually thinking of going under the knife to improve their selfies?
Some say it's the feeling of instant celebrity that comes with every photo posted online for all to see.
"The personal celebrity is definitely a relevant thing that's happening. When someone likes your photo and some shares or comments it's definitely a boost to you," Kasey Bryant said.
Psychologist Sandy Hotchkiss said the boost has too many young people getting addicted to selfies.
"Our values lean toward the shallow end of the value pool where things like physical beauty and material success are more important than things like compassion, courage, and kindness," she said.
Experts said you can strike a balance by also learning to put stock in things that go beyond the superficial.
Experts said selfie obsessed celebrities like Kim Kardashian are also perpetuating the phenomenon.