Each week a psychologist analyses a different Facebook profile picture. This week ‘the action shot’

Confident, Capable, Fun and Enjoyment: the four words that would seem to sum up this picture.

This person, whatever their level of skiing ability is, would seem to be yelling, “Look at me…. I’m quite confident, I’m more than capable, I’m having fun and most of all I’m really, really enjoying myself.” The delight in the skier’s face says it all: the sense of achievement, the satisfaction and above all the pleasure at being snapped at this particular time. It’s an on-the-move photo, so the skier would not really have had a chance to put on a forced or even formal pose, therefore it comes across as a natural, spontaneous moment captured in a split-second.

When someone posts this sort of picture online, it’s not just about showing their sense of achievement and mastery in sporting situations. It’s also about wanting to share their moment of fun. This picture could tell any number of stories: the novice skier who’s just done their first solo run, the expert skier taking it easy or the family skier who’s got away from the crowd for a few moments. Above all, it tells a story of absolute happiness at the sharing of their moment.