That isn't to say that I don't think anyone should be posting selfies. I actually have major respect for people who do- they're putting themselves out there, risking social media rejection, and usually look great! People who post these selfies may be looking for affirmation, but simply posting one requires a certain level of self-confidence that I would love to possess. However, as someone who had never posted (or even taken) a selfie before I was assigned to do so, I've never understood the motivations for taking them, or why that matters. After reading the article about selfies on The Guardian and hearing about Chelsea's research, I have a deeper appreciation for these photos. Elizabeth Day's Guardian article mentions that selfies have become so widespread because of front-facing cameras, which of course makes sense, but that they have been in existence since 1839. Why have people held a fascination with taking pictures of themselves for as long as the technology has existed? Some argue that it is narcissistic human nature captured in an image, but for a lot of people, it's self-exploration. It can be a visual diary, or a way to get a buzz from positive peer response. Selfies are a way to show your social circle who you are, on your own terms. I totally understand this, and have a greater appreciation for selfies after learning about motivations behind them. Still, I probably won't be posting one of my own for the time being.
Saturday, March 28, 2015
First, Let Me Take a #Selfie
When we were assigned to take a selfie for our class on Thursday, I actually slightly panicked for a minute. I realized that I have never once taken a serious selfie before. I have totally bought into the Snapchat phenomenon, and have plenty of screen-shotted evidence of my upward-facing double-chinned selfies stored on various friends' phones. I have taken lots of group selfies and even bought a selfie stick for Spring Break. These group shots have inevitably found their way into my Facebook albums, so I guess I can't claim I'm totally immune to taking photos of myself on my front-facing camera and sharing them. However, there is a huge distinction between these kinds of photos, and a serious, looking-pretty selfie. I consider myself a pretty goofy, awkward person, and can't take myself seriously at all. I look at myself in the mirror and make funny faces or crack up. I'm pretty self-conscious, and lack the confidence to even take a photo of myself, let alone consider it social media worthy. I have an Instagram, but I really don't think anyone wants to see a picture of just me, so I would never even consider posting one. What if no one liked it? What if my friends were like, "What is that picture of you hahaha"? I would die of embarrassment. I could definitely post a selfie if it was funny or ironic, but a true, pouty, doe-eyed selfie? NEVER.
That isn't to say that I don't think anyone should be posting selfies. I actually have major respect for people who do- they're putting themselves out there, risking social media rejection, and usually look great! People who post these selfies may be looking for affirmation, but simply posting one requires a certain level of self-confidence that I would love to possess. However, as someone who had never posted (or even taken) a selfie before I was assigned to do so, I've never understood the motivations for taking them, or why that matters. After reading the article about selfies on The Guardian and hearing about Chelsea's research, I have a deeper appreciation for these photos. Elizabeth Day's Guardian article mentions that selfies have become so widespread because of front-facing cameras, which of course makes sense, but that they have been in existence since 1839. Why have people held a fascination with taking pictures of themselves for as long as the technology has existed? Some argue that it is narcissistic human nature captured in an image, but for a lot of people, it's self-exploration. It can be a visual diary, or a way to get a buzz from positive peer response. Selfies are a way to show your social circle who you are, on your own terms. I totally understand this, and have a greater appreciation for selfies after learning about motivations behind them. Still, I probably won't be posting one of my own for the time being.
That isn't to say that I don't think anyone should be posting selfies. I actually have major respect for people who do- they're putting themselves out there, risking social media rejection, and usually look great! People who post these selfies may be looking for affirmation, but simply posting one requires a certain level of self-confidence that I would love to possess. However, as someone who had never posted (or even taken) a selfie before I was assigned to do so, I've never understood the motivations for taking them, or why that matters. After reading the article about selfies on The Guardian and hearing about Chelsea's research, I have a deeper appreciation for these photos. Elizabeth Day's Guardian article mentions that selfies have become so widespread because of front-facing cameras, which of course makes sense, but that they have been in existence since 1839. Why have people held a fascination with taking pictures of themselves for as long as the technology has existed? Some argue that it is narcissistic human nature captured in an image, but for a lot of people, it's self-exploration. It can be a visual diary, or a way to get a buzz from positive peer response. Selfies are a way to show your social circle who you are, on your own terms. I totally understand this, and have a greater appreciation for selfies after learning about motivations behind them. Still, I probably won't be posting one of my own for the time being.
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