In a relatively short time, selfies have become our culture's collective visual diary. Currently, the hashtag #selfie yields more than 31 million hits on Instagram, and the Oxford Dictionaries selected selfie as the Word of the Year for 2013. Even President Barack Obama was photographed last week taking a selfie at Nelson Mandela's memorial service. Clearly, we're in the midst of a self-portrait renaissance.
We all know what a selfie is and how to do it. And those of you who do not.... Come on people ...crawl out of your hole and start snapping!
Selfies in the bathroom, kitchen, on the farm, on a roller coaster, in the mirror .... Posing, flirting, crying, smiling ....
We have seen them all.
And they annoy the SHIT OUT OF SOME PEOPLE. but I want to know why?
I love a good selfie. And I will not and do not take selfies only when I look cute. I do it when I want to. Sleepy selfies, morning breath selfies, sleeping and lounging with the dog selfies and bad morning hair selfies!
I like to see in form how I am feeling, how I look making funny faces, how the goofball dog turns away when I am trying to kiss her face while taking a selfie. It's just plain fun.
Hey ya know what ...there's a button on Facebook and it's called "unfollow" where you don't HAVE TO SEE MY MUG first thing in the morning if you don't want to. I will not be offended ...in fact ...here's the kicker ... I won't even know! It's different than "unfriend". Once you unfollow someone
They no longer come up in your feed every freaking time they post something. So now you have to
actually actively go to their page to see what the hell they are up to and how many freaking selfies they took today if you wanted too.
But here's the thing because I am a Psychology student and well my brain works like this! Why DO people get so worked up and sometimes even like pissed at people who post selfies? Are YOU that
unhappy/jealous/envious/insecure that you cannot see someone having fun at taking pictures of themselves?
Why do people think it's selfish or narcissistic?
Someone cannot enjoy looking at themselves?
Scientists and psychologist are actually exploring the effect these selfies have on us.
Are they good or bad?
I mean anything can be good or bad for us.
Some think it's turning us into a nation of narcissists, but psychologists say that in moderation, selfies are a feel-good and often creative way, particularly for teens, to chronicle their lives and emotions and express their personalities. And people who post selfies assert that they can have an effect on their moods and self-esteem.
I feel creative and happy when I am photographing things and yes now that includes myself. Believe me I WAS the queen of selfies before some of these kids were a thought in their parents bedroom! I KNOW if I develop the rolls and rolls of film from ages ago I have in a box in my closet upstairs ...LOTS of them would be of myself.
So what has changed?
Technology! I have am awesome camera at the tip of my fingers! This wee iPhone camera can take some pretty bad ass pictures!
And everyone is in everyone's else business!
AND now we can get instant gratification cause come on we ALL love THAT!
Let's face it ....the selfies are here. Embrace it people. Love yourself ...but not too much it IS a balance after all.
And if "I" am loving myself too much for you ...yep ...there's that concept of that button on FB again ....freaking use it ....
NOW ....ITS TIME FOR A SELFIE!
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