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One reason people believe selfies have taken over as the new form of self-expression is that those taking them think they look good in their self-taken picture.
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As with generational changes, trends ebb and flow and it appears that we’ve waded into one that looks as though it’s here to stay. If you browse any form of social media, you will undoubtedly stumble across the phenomenon of “selfies.” This fairly modern word describes the act of one taking a picture of himself for arguably good or no good reason at all. This act has been embraced by politicians, musicians, movie stars, athletes, and ultimately anyone that has a cell phone with a camera.
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One argument is that selfies are deeply rooted in artistic self-expression.
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Selfies started as a necessity when no one was around to take your picture, but soon became as natural as just saying cheese. Before long, everywhere you looked, you’d see arms outstretched, people’s fingers awkwardly trying to press the circular button that would capture a snapshot. Cellphones further evolved and cameras were put on both sides of the devices so that you could now see the picture you were about to take. The guessing game of hoping you got yourself into the frame was over and the selfie train picked up momentum.
For sake of full disclosure, I’ve taken my share of selfies. In fact, I’m usually the one snapping the picture due to having longer arms than my wife. I’m no stranger to this runaway train of cultural acceptance. I don’t believe in taking a picture at every drop of an opportunity, nor will you witness me brandishing a “selfie-stick.” Since the convenience afforded by cellphones, selfies have now progressed into an obnoxiously super exposed form of narcissistic behavior.
One reason people believe selfies have taken over as the new form of self-expression is that those taking them think they look good in their self-taken picture. Let’s look at the evidence that coincides with snapping your own portrait. People normally hold the phone at such a high angle that it is sure to eliminate any extra chins you might have. Some have perfected the “duck lips” or “fish face” pose, supposedly helping to make their face appear thinner as well. A traditional selfie is of only your shoulders and up, making self-conscious people rest easy in their perfectly cropped shot. Lastly, if you’ve ever taken a look at the editing features that accompany most cellphone cameras, even Quasimodo can be made to look handsome.
As Dale Carnegie wrote in his masterpiece How to Win Friends and Influence People, the sweetest words to someone’s ears are hearing their own name. I believe this rings true from a visual perspective as well. If you were to look at a picture of you and a group of friends, your eyes will automatically go straight to yourself. Maybe selfies give people a way to stack the odds of having a favorable picture. By acting as your own photographer, you would definitely be prone to take pictures that appease your own eye.
Another argument I’ve read assesses selfies are deeply rooted in artistic self-expression. Since art and individualistic expression are subjective, this reasoning isn’t a definitive answer. Where did all this fire for artistic creativity spring from after the advent of the cellphone camera? Were people stewing with internal rife since they couldn’t figure out how to express themselves? I wouldn’t personally buy this reasoning to explain the cultural acceptance and explosion of taking your own picture, only that it can be used as a convenient justification.
However, it is safe to assume the practice of taking selfies will ride its own train a while longer – at least until we’ve grown tired of looking at our own faces in self-taken pictures.
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Selfies act as a stamped recording of your life. Long gone are the days of scrapbooking, sorting and framing your favorite personal memories. This process has evolved into storing hundreds and thousands of personal pictures on sites such as Instagram or Facebook, or even more methodically in Dropbox.
The pure saturation of pictures one posts has a tendency to rid of any value of a truly good picture. Whether this phenomenon is narcissistic, artistic, self-promoting, self-degrading, uplifting, or loathsome isn’t up to me to decide. However, it is safe to assume the practice of taking selfies will ride its own train a while longer – at least until we’ve grown tired of looking at our own faces in self-taken pictures.
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Photo: Getty Images