Sun Tao Psychologist

Sun Tao Psychologist

February 26th, 216 Creator in the field of quality psychology

Why do we like to take pictures before eating

"Wait a minute, let me take a picture before eating!" Nowadays, whether in a high-end, atmospheric and upscale restaurant or in a simple, people-friendly and reliable street stall, this scene of taking pictures before meals is all familiar. So, why do we like to take pictures before meals? What kind of psychological state is hidden behind this behavior?

what is "taking pictures before meals"?

"Taking photos before meals" refers to the phenomenon of network communication that people take photos and retouch things with mobile devices such as mobile phones before eating, and then upload them to social media (such as WeChat and Weibo) through the network. In essence, it is a new media social behavior that combines offline activities with online communication with individuals as the main body. "Taking photos before meals" has become an alternative way of communication among netizens in China. In this way, people can know what they are doing, and once someone replies, they will feel happy to be noticed! With the popularization of mobile internet technology and smart phones, people begin to pay attention to the small world and enjoy the pleasure of getting attention in the virtual world.

Why do we like to take pictures before meals

Psychology behind "taking pictures before meals"

A common saying in psychology is that "people's psychology is intangible, but people's behavior can reflect people's psychological state", so what kind of psychological state is hidden behind this behavior of "taking pictures before meals"?

1. Self-venting as a way to relieve stress.

People living in big cities have a fast pace of life, great work pressure and great environmental pressure, and the communication between people becomes less and less, so people are prone to feel anxious and depressed. To some extent, "taking photos before meals" has become a way for people to express their inner state and vent their inner pressure, especially when many similar people like it and reply, which makes people feel "appreciate each other" satisfaction. Through basking in delicious food and interactive reply, people of the same kind have become a "circle" with the same interests, which has eliminated people's loneliness and anxiety to some extent.

Especially the popular "poisoning in the middle of the night", that is, posting photos of someone's food in the middle of the night, just like drugs, arouses the "gluttons" of spectators, and then arouses the "envy, jealousy and hate" comments of those who work overtime in the middle of the night, while the "poisoning person" is satisfied, which is also a way for people to relieve their inner loneliness and anxiety.

2. Brush the sense of existence as a way to gain the attention of others.

Everyone has the instinct to express themselves, seek attention, gain others' recognition and respect. However, in today's information explosion, it is not easy for us to get the attention of others. Everyone's concerns are different, and people with similar interests are scattered in different corners. By uploading photos from the media before meals, people who also love food are gathered together, which not only meets the needs of those who seek attention, but also meets the needs of "spectators". The sender and the receiver of the message form an effective interaction and openly express their ideas and ideas to the maximum extent in the network environment.

3. Show off yourself as a way to satisfy vanity.

The research of social psychology shows that the vanity of orientals is stronger than that of westerners, and there are also factors of saving face and keeping up with the joneses in catering consumption, and whether they have spending power has also become a kind of show-off capital. Most diners have developed from the pursuit of food enjoyment to the pursuit of consumer sentiment (this sentiment can be reflected in money, sentiment or nutrition). Moreover, this behavior of sharing photos before meals seems to be just sharing, and there is no suspicion of showing off. It is called "low-key showing off", so it satisfies people's vanity and allows people to show off without guilt, thus satisfying their vanity.

4. Food culture, as a way to inherit food culture.

"Food is the most important thing for the people". China is a big country with a long history of food culture, which has become an important part of China culture. With the development of mobile internet technology and smart phones, more and more people like to "sun" their daily diet. Therefore, to some extent, "taking pictures before meals" is a way of inheriting food culture. Beware of the psychological problems caused by "taking pictures before meals"

Being too keen on "drying food" deviates from the essence of social communication. Family members are busy taking pictures and making circles at dinners and friends gatherings, but they forget emotional communication and language communication. What's more, I clearly know that online "sun-drying food" will bring bad results, but I still can't help myself. After "sun-drying", I will be anxious and regret, but I will also be anxious if I don't sun-dry. This contradictory mood makes me very painful. This over-reliance on the communication in the virtual world ignores the interpersonal communication in real life, which makes people very prone to psychological problems such as addiction and compulsion.

In a word, "taking pictures before meals" is understandable, but if it has reached the point of "addiction" and even seriously affected its social function, it will not be worth the candle.