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Teenager: 'Dangerous' selfie habit caused mental illness

A teenager who became addicted to taking selfies says it is important people are educated about how "dangerous" the habit can be.

Danny Bowman began taking up to 70 selfies a day aged 14 to "impress girls" but his addiction "got out of hand".

His habit became a "full-blown mental illness," and at worst he refused to leave the house for six months.

After receiving hospital treatment for Body Dysmorphic Disorder, Danny, now 19, said: "You zoom into every flaw... if I had a spot, I didn't used to go out of the house."

"Young people are starting to realise that in this selfie age, it can be quite dangerous," he said.

This clip is originally from Afternoon Edition on Thursday 5 February 2015.

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4 minutes

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