Selfies get all sorts of flak, but it turns out the criticisms may not be entirely justified. A new study suggests that the act of taking and posting pictures of oneself can boost a person’s happiness level. br br br Selfies get all sorts of flak, but it turns out the criticisms may not be entirely justified. brA new studya suggests that the act of taking and posting pictures of oneself can boost a person’s happiness level. brResearchers with the University of California, Irvine recently had 41 students fill out questionnaires regarding their emotional well-being then tasked them with taking one of 3 different types of pictures on a daily basis. brThose includeda selfies in which they were smiling, an image of something that brought them happiness, and a snapshot intended to bring joy to others. brIn the three weeks the participants did so, they also filled out a survey regarding their mood three times throughout the day.brUpon gathering and analyzing the data, the team founda that all of the photo-taking exercises resulted in elevated moods. brAmong selfie takers in particular, some also noted that over the course of the study they experienced an increase in confidence.