GREENVILLE, N.C. -

You've heard the saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" but what about a selfie? In the last couple of months, many people have gone out of this world and at times in to harms way to get the best shot. With the popularity of smart devices on the rise, the trend is not likely to stop any time soon.

From the celebrity posts to a couple who died after they ignored posted signs and fell off a cliff, the act of taking a selfie at times pushes the limits. But the psychology behind it points to the same thing: people just wanted to be accepted by others.

"Some people have a negative view of selfie," Dr. Michael Baker with East Carolina University said. "It's viewed as as being kind of narcissistic to post selfies or people think that folks that post these are kind of full of themselves, but that isn't necessarily the case. In fact, selfies aren't always entirely selfish. They can be used to signal bonds or desired bonds with other people."

These bonds drive people to share the things from their every day life, which at times may include some dangerous situations. Baker says the rules and laws should never be ignored and selfies should be taken seriously because they have the potential to create a public perception of you that could impact your life beyond your social media profile. He says the people most likely to take selfies are teenagers and young adults who are still trying to figure out how they want to be viewed by the world.

"Young people are still more likely to be figuring out who they are, developing their self concept and their identity," Baker said. "Selfies allow them to experiment with different elements of their identity to figure out what works for them and what doesn't."

He warns posters should remember that once something is added to the internet it may be hard to remove, so think twice about what you put out there. There have been incidents where people have been arrested, suspended from school, injured and even killed because they ignored common sense to take a selfie.

Selfies may be harmless but they also have the potential to cause a lot of damage if not taken with consideration. So the next time you decide to strike a selfie pose, think first, then take a selfie.