Taking Naked Photos: The psychology behind nude photos

Last month, an explicit video of Rashida Black beauty was uploaded online. Prior to that, nude photos of actress Christabel Ekeh had been shared online.

In recent weeks, Ghanaian celebrities have taken nude pictures of themselves and uploaded them online.

While sharing of nude photos are common among celebrities world wide, the practice is gaining currency in Ghana.

Last month, an explicit video of Rashida Black Beauty was uploaded online. Prior to that, nude photos of actress Christabel Ekeh had been shared online.

READ MORE: I get attention when I expose my body - Sista Afia

Musician Sista Afia has also confessed that she goes naked to actress attention. And as for Moesha Budon, she has threatened to break the internet.

But why do celebrities take or share nude photos? Here are some researched answers on the phenomenon.

Social recognition: Ron Kramer, a senior sociology lecturer at the University of Auckland, has told travel magazine the Stuff that access to new technology is changing behaviours. Kramer adds that social media is changing the way we think about ourselves and others.

While some studies have suggested that narcissism lies behind our desire to share photos online, Kramer thinks most posters are after social recognition.

"One outcome of social media is that it's almost as if you don't exist if you don't share things on social media; that you haven't really been to a place if you haven't posted a photo of yourself there. Image sharing is effectively a game of social status, and self-validation perhaps. It's a bit like buying a flash car to prove your worth," Kramer said.

For attention: Another reason people share nude photos is for attention, Kramer says.

"That edge gets pushed further and further and people feel less and less concerned by what they share. There's no such thing as too much information anymore."

READ MORE: Actress Christabel Ekeh's nude photos leaked

Social influence: A study conducted on college students  in 2012 found out that students who saw more sexually suggestive photos of their peers on Facebook reasoned that more of those peers were having unprotected sex with strangers. They were also more likely than the group who saw less suggestive photos to say they planned to have sex without condoms with strangers.

What people think their peers are doing (regardless of what they are actually doing) influences their behaviour, according to an article on the issue published on Techcrunch. If people think their friends are taking naked selfies and putting these pics online (even if the truth is that their friends are sitting at home chatting with mom), then they will start uploading selfies in the buff.  And this psychology isn’t unique to only youth. It affects all of the human behaviours.

Last month, an explicit video of Rashida Black beauty was uploaded online. Prior to that, nude photos of actress Christabel Ekeh had been shared online. Read Full Story