Selfies, Will Our Fascination With Taking Our Own Amateur Self-Portriats Fizzle Out?

Selfies, Will Our Fascination With Taking Our Own Amateur Self-Portraits Fizzle Out?

Not that I think anyone, social media pariah or not, needs a recap on what exactly a selfie is let me put the definitions out there anyway. Some of the several definitions that Urban Dictionary tags selfie with include; a person taking a picture of themselves at arm’s length by themselves, camera raped, where one person takes many pictures of themselves on anothers camera, an act usually carried out by girls aged 12-21, and an act involves taking photos of one’s self while posing along with a few other definitions that are contain a little too much Ummm, shall we say, loose language for my blog readers eyes and ears.

Why are we so obsessed with selfies? According to http://mashable.com/2013/10/20/celebrity-selfies/ article “Which Celebrities Take the Most Selfies?” Some people view selfies as a symptom of the self-centered, self-important "me" generation, while others argue it's a way for a person to have total control on how they are represented online. But is there really more to it than the narcissistic whims of a selfish generation?  I’ve got my own ideas about the reasons as to why people are into selfies, and they are pretty positive.

Selfies, used in moderation, are actually a pretty good way to document your life, create your own history. I don’t necessarily see that as narcissistic. Without a mirror or some other object that shows our reflection would we really know what we look like? It’s only curiosity to wonder how other people see us. Technology allows us to do that through; you’ve got it, selfies.   Selfies have the ability to reflect a mood and communicate something about a person. Yes, it may be self-involved but when it’s a person’s own Facebook or Twitter page it becomes a form of self-expression. In some ways it can be seen as a form of art. What about reminding family and friends that your still there?  Does anyone think that the occasional selfie can remind a family member or friend that they haven’t seen you in person in a while?  Maybe that’s because this is how our mind works. When we see a visual like a selfie it triggers something in our minds that engages us. Maybe too, it’s just about how people want to be perceived by others, good or bad. Is it really about vanity at all then? No, not entirely. But there will be that few that always take it to the extremes. Please, no posting fifteen photos in a row, that’s definitely selfie overkill.   

I’ll leave you with an interesting example of a selfie from Coral Springs Florida high school student Malik Whiter posted on October 18, 2013.  Whiter’s teacher, Susana Halleck, the woman in the background in what looks to be like excruciating pain, was experiencing a contraction and on the phone with her mother at the time of the selfie. This selfie has been re-tweeted 20,000 times. Amazing!

What do you think? Is the selfie here to stay? I think so. By the looks of it our fascination with taking our own amateur self-portraits isn’t going away. I may try it myselfie....

Referenced:

http://mashable.com/2013/10/20/celebrity-selfies/

http://www.vibe.com/article/student-poses-selfie-while-pregnant-teacher-in-labor