There's a growing trend of taking and posting selfies on social media. And it's becoming impossible to avoid this new culture. This behavior reveals the obsession with one's looks.

According to a recent study, it has been discovered that selfies are linked to mental illness, narcissism, and addiction. The research has found the following facts.

People take selfies to post on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. They do this for their friend to click, favorite, like, comment, or heart on the pictures.

Are you a narcissist, a psychopath, or somewhere in between?

This behavior is associated with narcissism—a condition where you pursue too much gratification on your physical appearances and abilities.

The researchers also found that posting many selfies relates to psychopathy. But it doesn't mean that you're a 100 percent psychopath. The study reveals that the more you post pictures, the more you're likely to fall into the narcissistic and psychopathy spectrum.

The study also shows that selfies fall into two types of narcissism. The first one is vanity. This's a situation where someone enjoys admiring their outstanding self-appearances.

The second narcissism type is leadership. It's a public figure or celebrity character that motivates oneself to promote a particular agenda.

There're other narcissistic types, such as admiration and self-sufficiency. Self-sufficiency means that you post selfies to make others understand or be aware of your independence. You can also post these selfies to prove to others that you're superior to them or someone else who isn't in the picture.

Mental health and selfies: vanity, impulsiveness, and more

Selfies are also associated with impulsiveness. The self-satisfied feeling you get while uploading and getting validation on social media is addictive.

Mental illness or addiction also relates to selfies-taking culture. It's on a leaning spectrum, just like in narcissism. The study shows that when you're having self-esteem issues, it can result in selfie-taking behavior. This causes mental disorders or disapproval of oneself.

Selfies taking can also result due to self-objectivation. That you only post photos to appear on social media.

Group selfies are also a way of showing off. For instance, you can post pictures with celebrities for bragging.