The evolution of the selfie... and is it extinct yet?
The ‘selfie’... We all know what it means and I think there is still a state of flux whether it is cool or not. Personally, I feel selfies are acceptable... sometimes. Instagram is always flooded with selfies and in that arena I think they are bearable... on Facebook I do not agree. But this is just my personal opinion and there are many out there. Now lets find out how this trend began, developed and now (according to rumour) is dying out.
In the early 2000’s with sites such as MySpace there was an increased amount of ‘self portraits’ – I use the term lightly. Since, this has moved on and with cameras and mobile phones improving their technology all our selfie needs are being met.
It is rather a self-indulgent and immodest way to show the world how good you can look but we are all guilty of it. And the amount of different types are incredible; although they all have the same air to them. We have the selfie with a friend, in bed, pet selfies, in the bathroom, on the bus, on the beach, on public transport, at the gym… the list goes on. Like mentioned above I find selfies on Facebook rather cringe-worthy but on Instagram I agree and for SnapChat they are practically a necessity.
Now, not to become too philosophical about the whole thing but is it just another big, ugly product of our generation? A disposable and immaculate picture trying to convey how cool, sexy or unique we are? I guess there are plenty of people that feel this way but I don’t know many that interact with social media who are not accountable of indulging in this trend.
So the big question, are we sick of it yet? Is our ‘fly by night’ generation tiring of it? Or is self-recognition going to stay a prominent feature in our online world…maybe it will just be altered a little?
Around 3 weeks ago we saw the launch of the ‘belfie’. For those who don’t know what this is, it’s a picture someone posts of their behind. Crude – yes, unashamed – yes, popular – you bet your bottom! Mainly, as it has been started off with famous women with particularly enviable derrieres it has been a big focal point and huge change to the selfie fad. It has also drawn our focus again back to celebrities and how they are truly the beautiful ones that should be photographed unlike us amateurs. Although it is a hot topic right now, I personally feel it has already lost its lustre and will never be as popular as the timeless selfie.
So what’s next? If we are moving away for your everyday selfie, are extreme selfies next? I guess people could selfie whilst undergoing or performing surgery, or bungee jumping, or doing extreme sports... this is weird and wonderful and could truly work.
Sadly, during my research I found a few articles regarding funeral selfies. Now I did not delve too deep into this as the sound of it truly turns my stomach. But I guess for all the good and bad bits, that’s what the Internet is famous for – bringing peoples lives (and deaths, apparently) together. I personally still feel mobile phones have no business being anywhere near a funeral but hey call me old fashioned. Many cultures have different attitudes towards death, different attitudes towards photography also, so maybe it’s just a change in our culture.
I still believe the good old-fashioned selfie won’t really go out of fashion, it will just adapt. I do retain a little sadness that our lives revolve around phones and photos, but I still feel the aspect of sharing is wonderful. It would be lovely if everyone stopped trying to look ‘immaculate’ or ‘fun’ or ‘cool’ all the time but I guess that’s what some people aim to be. I think if you abide by the social selfie guidelines you can’t go too wrong, just know your limits and try not to spend too long looking at yourself... You will miss a lot of cool stuff happening around you!
Faye Cannon
Image: www.warwickdailynews.com.au
In the early 2000’s with sites such as MySpace there was an increased amount of ‘self portraits’ – I use the term lightly. Since, this has moved on and with cameras and mobile phones improving their technology all our selfie needs are being met.
It is rather a self-indulgent and immodest way to show the world how good you can look but we are all guilty of it. And the amount of different types are incredible; although they all have the same air to them. We have the selfie with a friend, in bed, pet selfies, in the bathroom, on the bus, on the beach, on public transport, at the gym… the list goes on. Like mentioned above I find selfies on Facebook rather cringe-worthy but on Instagram I agree and for SnapChat they are practically a necessity.
Now, not to become too philosophical about the whole thing but is it just another big, ugly product of our generation? A disposable and immaculate picture trying to convey how cool, sexy or unique we are? I guess there are plenty of people that feel this way but I don’t know many that interact with social media who are not accountable of indulging in this trend.
So the big question, are we sick of it yet? Is our ‘fly by night’ generation tiring of it? Or is self-recognition going to stay a prominent feature in our online world…maybe it will just be altered a little?
Around 3 weeks ago we saw the launch of the ‘belfie’. For those who don’t know what this is, it’s a picture someone posts of their behind. Crude – yes, unashamed – yes, popular – you bet your bottom! Mainly, as it has been started off with famous women with particularly enviable derrieres it has been a big focal point and huge change to the selfie fad. It has also drawn our focus again back to celebrities and how they are truly the beautiful ones that should be photographed unlike us amateurs. Although it is a hot topic right now, I personally feel it has already lost its lustre and will never be as popular as the timeless selfie.
Image: www.dailymail.co.uk
So what’s next? If we are moving away for your everyday selfie, are extreme selfies next? I guess people could selfie whilst undergoing or performing surgery, or bungee jumping, or doing extreme sports... this is weird and wonderful and could truly work.
Sadly, during my research I found a few articles regarding funeral selfies. Now I did not delve too deep into this as the sound of it truly turns my stomach. But I guess for all the good and bad bits, that’s what the Internet is famous for – bringing peoples lives (and deaths, apparently) together. I personally still feel mobile phones have no business being anywhere near a funeral but hey call me old fashioned. Many cultures have different attitudes towards death, different attitudes towards photography also, so maybe it’s just a change in our culture.
I still believe the good old-fashioned selfie won’t really go out of fashion, it will just adapt. I do retain a little sadness that our lives revolve around phones and photos, but I still feel the aspect of sharing is wonderful. It would be lovely if everyone stopped trying to look ‘immaculate’ or ‘fun’ or ‘cool’ all the time but I guess that’s what some people aim to be. I think if you abide by the social selfie guidelines you can’t go too wrong, just know your limits and try not to spend too long looking at yourself... You will miss a lot of cool stuff happening around you!
Faye Cannon
The evolution of the selfie... and is it extinct yet?
Reviewed by Anonymous
on
Monday, November 11, 2013
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Reviewed by Anonymous
on
Monday, November 11, 2013
Rating:
Anonymous
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