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Here’s Why Sharing Vacation Photos Really Makes You Happier

By
Cailey Rizzo
Cailey Rizzo
and
Travel + Leisure
Travel + Leisure
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By
Cailey Rizzo
Cailey Rizzo
and
Travel + Leisure
Travel + Leisure
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 3, 2016, 9:55 AM ET
Day 3 - Glastonbury Festival
GLASTONBURY, ENGLAND - JUNE 29: Two girls in the crowd take a selfie as they watch The 1975 perform on the Pyramid stage during day three of the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton on June 29, 2014 in Glastonbury, England. Tickets to the event, which is now in its 44th year, sold out in minutes even before any of the headline acts had been confirmed. The festival, which started in 1970 when several hundred hippies paid ?1, now attracts more than 175,000 people. (Photo by Jim Dyson/Getty Images)Photo by Jim Dyson—Getty Images

Even though it may make all of your Facebook (FB) friends jealous, sharing your vacation photos may make you happier.

According to a study out of the University of California at Irvine, taking certain types of photos made people happier.

The study was conducted on a group of 41 college students over four weeks. The students were told to take one picture on their smartphone every day—“a selfie photo with a smiling expression,” “a photo of something that would make oneself happy,” or “a photo of something that would make another person happy.”

Basically, the study concluded, any photo taken with the goal of producing happiness will have a positive effect on the photographer. Same goes for any photo that aims to bring together the photographer and audience.

People who took photos for themselves became more mindful, reflective, and aware of their surroundings. Those who took photos for others reported better communication with their friends and family and reduced stress due to their stronger ties.

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And those who took selfies reported feeling more confident, comfortable, and creative. However, they also became more stressed and bored with repetitive smiling.

So do people take selfies because they’re happy, or are they happy because they take selfies? Either way, go ahead and snap all the photos on your next vacation. Every single person in your social media feed is definitely going to love it.

And even if they don’t, you will.

This story was originally published on TravelandLeisure.com.

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By Cailey Rizzo
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