"Filters" are the Reason behind Your Instagram Selfies Receiving Lesser Likes; Latest Study Finds Out!

Are you among those who believe that applying selfie filters can get your post an increased number of likes? Well, it turns out that you have been following the flawed approach then! A recent study revealed that you are likely to receive lesser likes on your filtered selfies posted on Instagram as compared to the unfiltered ones.

It was also discovered that posts and photos packed with “social cues” garner more engagement. The social cues could be “relatable” things and even “flexing” about wealth.

For this study, researchers had to look up thousands of public Instagram posts using the hashtag “selfies”. Nearly 2,000 samples were finalized and for measuring every post’s performance, certain factors were taken into account. Number of followers and the maximum likes on normal posts were some of those factors.

As mentioned above, selfies rich in social cues e.g. luxurious items, professional backgrounds, trendy clothes etc. were found to be more successful. A potential reason behind the popularity of such posts is that they subtly express a desire to connect with others.

When it comes to filtered selfies, the study takes an interesting turn. Dog filters and flower crowns are among the most used filters on Instagram. The study in question has shown that heavily edited and filtered selfies give off vibes of hypocrisy or uselessness since they expose the selfie taker’s intention of only appearing as their ideal self.


The researchers ended by stating that selfie takers and social media users should practice caution while uploading selfies, if they would like their posts to bring in the expected results. Although, it is a recommended practice to add social cues in selfies, it’s also important to use the right types of social cues as these cues have the potential to be complete game changers.

The researchers also pointed out that further research in the said area was required and that the samples they used to conduct their study were mostly selfies of female Instagrammers.

If you want to access the study, you can find it published in the Science Direct online journal. A highly functional team consisting of researchers from numerous US universities was assembled for this task.

Want to go viral on social media? Stop taking Filtered selfies!

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