But First, Let Me Take A Selfie!

In a more porous and a constantly evolving society that continues to grapple with the concept of identity, the advent of the ‘selfie’ craze should be consciously questioned and understood as a digital tool which visibly impacts human lives. It is increasingly being used as a means for self-exploration, however it is important to realise the narcissism which certain selfie trends might hint toward.

Selfies redefine “The aesthetics of self-representation” (Shipley, 403). Second, they enhace the connectivity between humans

“In various permutations, selfieness is defined by how a subject composes an image, its captioning, and its circulation to create an emotional field emanating from the self.” (Shipley, 408) Through trial and error, one becomes the protagonist as well as the creator of one’s digital story.

Narcissistic perspectives-Create a superficial generation who value their looks above anything else.

It is most commonly found that posting one’s pictures on any social media platform inevitably demands some sort of a response from the viewers. Negative responses to pictures can have negative consequences, which raises the social concerns of their questionable penetration into our daily lives. These trends might lead to a constant comparison to others, body image or even self-esteem issues, for it is very easy for any vulnerable individual to get caught up in the ‘selfie buzz’.

Selfie love according to Shipley, raises concerns about overarching presence of technology in our lives as well. It can act as a double edged sword- which on one hand enables one to fuel their creative expressions, but on the other hand is “a threat to local forms of difference.”

“The selfie’s prominence is one of the unintended consequences of Internet andmobile interconnectivity.” (Shipley, 404) While selfies largely remain fun and harmless, spreading awareness about being obsessed with the selfie is crucial to warn us against the fact that in a hurry to capture the moment, we might just forget embracing the moment itself.