How perfect selfies and influencer posts impact our mental health

A picture of perfection? Social media can have a negative effect on our self image, psychologists say - especially for passive users. Photo: Christin Klose/dpa

Idyllic-looking faraway places, food that makes you salivate and selfies that look so good they make you feel like an ugly ogre. 

Social media can pile on the pressure to have a perfect life, making users feel depressed and inadequate. Above all, it's those who passively use apps such as Instagram and Facebook who are likely to suffer negative effects, according to psychologists.