Initially when we were told we had to take a selfie for class, I kind of started to freak out. I thought, “where are we going to use these?.. is everyone going to see this?..” The thought of people seeing a selfie of mine and judging it really made me anxious. Then I sat and thought, “I’ve been doing this since 2005 on Myspace, I’ll be fine.” This idea of taking selfies is something so normalized and is now becoming fully integrated into all types of social media including Facebook, Instagram, twitter, etc. However, I do not agree when The Guardian article claims, “To some, the selfie has become the ultimate symbol of the narcissistic age. Its instantaneous nature encourages superficiality – or so the argument goes. One of the possible side-effects has been that we care more than ever before about how we appear and, as a consequence, social acceptance comes only when the outside world accepts the way we look, rather than endorsing the work we do or the way we behave off-camera.”
I do not agree with much of what this article says, but I argue rather, that selfies aren’t merely a “thing” of the “narcissistic age”, but they can actually be a good, progressive thing. I think people often think poorly of selfies, but I can see them as a positive outlet for many people. Although the article points out that people have “a need for approval and self-affirmation”, I believe this is just a shallow way to look at selfies. If you think about it, taking selfies doesn’t really hurt anyone. If anything, I think selfies empower people. What’s so wrong with someone taking a photo of themselves if “their lighting is on point” or they just got their make up done? I think it’s great if people think they look beautiful so they want to share it with the world. By getting likes or comments, I don’t see it as looking for “self-affirmation”, but rather people just boosting each other’s self love. I think selfies are a great way that people can show that they love themselves and have positive body image.
I do not agree with much of what this article says, but I argue rather, that selfies aren’t merely a “thing” of the “narcissistic age”, but they can actually be a good, progressive thing. I think people often think poorly of selfies, but I can see them as a positive outlet for many people. Although the article points out that people have “a need for approval and self-affirmation”, I believe this is just a shallow way to look at selfies. If you think about it, taking selfies doesn’t really hurt anyone. If anything, I think selfies empower people. What’s so wrong with someone taking a photo of themselves if “their lighting is on point” or they just got their make up done? I think it’s great if people think they look beautiful so they want to share it with the world. By getting likes or comments, I don’t see it as looking for “self-affirmation”, but rather people just boosting each other’s self love. I think selfies are a great way that people can show that they love themselves and have positive body image.
Our society has entire industries that depend on the interiority complexes of women, whether that be fashion, make up, dieting, or wrinkle cream. So, what is so wrong with a woman thinking, “Hey, I look great and feel beautiful, so I’m going to take a selfie and share it with the world.” I do however agree when the article states that the selfie is “an extension of how we live and learn about each other". We need to see pictures and selfies as a way to look at others and see them for the beautiful person they are and how they felt when they decided to take that picture. I mean, the word “selfie” was the word of the year in 2013-2014 by the Oxford dictionary, so why not use it and see its positivity?
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Day, E. (2013). How selfies became a global phenomenon. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/jul/14/how-selfies-became-a-global-phenomenon
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