Selfie's a trend after all
By Jenelyn
Placido
*1, 2, 3 CLICK!* *edits* *uploads
on facebook/twitter/instagram* *hashtag selfie/tb/ootd/tbt/selca etc*
Relate? Im sure you did. Selfie
or taking photos of oneself made an important statement in our generation. It
has been a trend that is continuously done by people today. Whether it’s a duck
face, an outfit-of-the-day selfie, or any type of selfie, the trending term
also had its deeper meaning.
A picture taken by yourself and
is planned to upload on any social media sites is a simple way of describing
selfie. It is typically taken with a hand-held digital camera or phone. In
August 2013, the term selfie had been added in the Oxford Dictionaries Online’s
quarterly update where it is defined as “a photograph that one has taken of
oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a
social media website”. In Korea, term “selca” is used to describe selfie
photos. Improvements in technology, like having a front-faced camera, mobile
apps, and other techy gadgets are the reasons why it is near to impossible that
the term “selfie” will be forgotten.
Perhaps selfies do show the
self-exploration and experiences of teenagers, but there are other factors to
be considered—ones that are much more obvious and logical. The first factor is
the peer pressure. “If my friend gets 100 likes and comments in a picture, why
can’t I?” This make the users feel compelled to their social duty with a
self-portrait. The second factor is the obsession with popularity. People love
to be flattered and they like getting compliments and posting selfies online is
an open invitation for compliments. Boredom is the third factor. What do you do
when bored out of your mind with a camera on your hand? The obvious answer is
by usually taking a selfie.
The appeal that selfie brings
comes from how easy they are to make, and the satisfying effect they give
self-photographers over how they picture themselves. Many selfies are intended
to present a flattering image, especially to friends whom the photographer
expects to be supportive. Developmentally, selfies make sense for children and
teens. They are simply reflections of self-exploration because self-captured
images allow them to express their mood states in the public. How about you?
How often do you post selfies online? And what messages are you trying to send
to the world?
