Posting pictures on social media could be turning us into self-absorbed people who only care about how many ‘likes’ we rack up, a new study has shown.

Researchers at the University of Windsor in Ontario found that people who use ‘rapid’ social media – meaning they use it frequently throughout the day but in short bursts – are likely to become ‘morally shallow’.

Using social media often also made it more difficult for people to form and keep relationships and undergo academic learning, as they’re more focused on face and gratification rather than those around them.

MORE: WHY DO SOME FRIENDS OVERSHARE ON FACEBOOK?

(Image: GIPHY)

Logan Annisette, a psychologist at the University of Windsor says, ‘Frequent use of ultra-brief social media is associated with negative effects on the user’s use of reflective thought and some indicators of compromised moral judgment.

What to read next

‘This can potentially lead to a decline in academic performance and increased difficulty in the formation of social relationships – two extremely important tasks for teenagers and young adults, the age groups that text and use social media to the greatest degree.’

MORE: THE SCIENTIFIC REASON YOU’RE ADDICTED TO FACEBOOK

(Main image: Getty)