Belfies Are The New Black!

There is a ton of discussion about the “selfie” right now and whether it's an excellent form of self-expression or the ultimate symbol of narcissism. Here is a quick recap from Elizabeth Day’s, How selfies became a global phenomenon.

Selfies are good they say:

“A selfie is a form of self-expression, it serves as a memoir, it is an authentic form of beauty, it allows you to show the world who you are, it’s about self-exposure and control, it can boost self esteem, and they are fun” (Day,2013).

Selfies are bad they say:

“Taking selfies makes you narcissistic, it encourages superficiality, puts too much emphasis on appearance, you self-objectify yourself, they show you off to men, and make you self-obsessed” (Day,2013).

Selfies are not necessarily a new trend; they have been around in different forms for decades. But in my opinion all this selfie talk is getting a little overrated. So I introduce to you, the belfie, a selfie with a twist. 

The belfie gained popularity through Kim Kardashian, and now belfies are on the rise everywhere!

If selfies are causing this much discrepancy, belfies are for sure going to turn heads. According to Gail Dines, the author of Pornland: How Porn Has Hijacked Our Sexuality, “although men can "gain visibility" in a variety of ways, for women the predominant way to get attention is "fuckability". And it is true that a lot of female selfie aficionados take their visual vernacular directly from pornography (unwittingly or otherwise): the pouting mouth, the pressed-together cleavage, the rumpled bedclothes in the background hinting at opportunity” (Day, 2013). I guarantee many will argue that belfies, taking pictures strictly of your behind, are a sure sign of attention-seeking/self-objectifying narcissism. “Fuckability” is absolutely what they will say these pictures are insinuating.

However, I am going to take a stand for the belfie. At first I was skeptical, I felt as if it was “pushing it” and a tad bit unnecessary. But then after I searched the hasthag #belfie on Instagram, I came across a few photos that really made me smile turned me into a proud belfie supporter.

Humans search for self-affirmation and approval, which is a natural thing to do. When you post a photo that you are proud of and get a ton of likes, it makes you feel good inside! The likes serve as a ton of high-fives and tell you to keep doing what you’re doing. It increases your confidence. By posting a belfie or a selfie it doesn’t make you a narcissistic person, but it allows you to use a photo as a source of empowerment. These images show real people, real images, all with extremely beautiful diversity. The belfie shows all different women of sizes, shapes, different goals, and different journeys. Weather it be a post workout belfie showing off your toned bum, a progress photo of your weight loss voyage, or a photo that serves simply as a “if you got it flaunt it”, these forms of expression are completely healthy and acceptable.

The belfie is a hot new trend on the rise, and I am sure it is going to take some heat from critics. But my opinion on the selfie that migrated south, is that they are awesome and just another great form for women to let their self-confidence shine and be proud of who they are! Belfies are the new black! 

What are you waiting for? Purchase your belfie stick today!

Works Cited

Day, E. (2013, July 13). How selfies became a global phenomenon. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/jul/14/how-selfies-became-a-global-phenomenon

https://instagram.com/kimkardashian/

https://instagram.com/meganm4142/

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=belfie&utm_source=search-action