Researchers have figured out the science behind sexy selfies, and it might just surprise you.
Don't think of a women as vacous or a victim next time you see her adjusting her bikini provocatively with her phone in hand, says lead author of the research Khandis Blake of University of New South Wales.
The study, which was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science Journals this week, found that women took sexy selfies to climb the ladder in unequal ecomomic environments.
68,000 sexualized self-portrait photographs on Instagram and Twitter were analysed for the study across 113 countries.
"The argument is usually that when you see sexualisation, you see disempowerment", said the lead author.
Researchers instead found that women are more likely to put time and effort into posting racy selfies not necessarily in place of disempowerment, but instead in those where economic inequality is on the rise.
She said women are “more likely to invest time and effort into posting sexy selfies online in places where economic inequality is rising, and not in places where men hold more societal power and gender inequality is rife.”
Speaking about women taking sexy selfies, Blake went on to say "Think of her as a strategic player in a complex social and evolutionary game. She's out to maximise her lot in life, just like everyone."
