Hot selfies are always important if and when you’re turning the camera on yourself and sending a pic or video to a girl. Problem is, they’re never actually easy to maneuver, with people struggling to get the right angle, perfect smile and, of course, get the assets in the photo that are going to convince a girl to hangout. Yet, people — especially girls — love to snap them, and we now have a reason why hot selfies are so popular.

That’s because, thanks to a new study from the University of New South Wales, we have a little better understanding into the mindset of taking one. But is there really any motive to snapping one other than just trying to, obviously, look hot? According to lead researcher Dr. Khandis Blake, it’s a complicated matter, with the doctor saying, “think of her as a strategic player in a complex social and evolutionary game,” says Dr Blake said.

The study, which analyzed thousands of social media posts across 113 different countries by tracking hot selfies, revealed that girls typically sexualize themselves more in “environments with greater economic inequality, rather than where they might be oppressed because of their gender,” per News.com.AU. Added Dr. Blake:

“We then looked at where in the world these things happened most. The number one way that psychologists usually look at women’s preoccupation with their appearance is that it happens because of patriarchal pressures — that women live in societies that value their appearance more than their other qualities. The argument is usually that when you see sexualization, you see disempowerment. What we found instead is that 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.”

In addition to the above information that the study revealed, researchers also said that other factors that could influence the hot selfies trend could be things like population size, human development and internet access. Another important factor could be income, which, according to the study, could increase competition and status among people viewing others on social media. For instance, there’s a reason why a girl always seems to post a photo of herself in an exotic place or exclusive event, because it gives an appearance of acceptance in that community.

“The number one way that psychologists usually look at women’s preoccupation with their appearance is that it happens because of patriarchal pressures — that women live in societies that value their appearance more than their other qualities.

With the research showing that girls taking hot selfies are just trying to position themselves in this competitive world — both realistically and digitally — it’s important to remember that it shouldn’t be an indicator that a person is happy. In fact, as this study shows, and most of us are probably aware of, those who take too many selfies and look for validation are often the most lost or unhappiest people. If you know someone like this, be aware of it and make sure to help or encourage them to get help.