Who knew that taking a picture of yourself and posting it online
for everyone to see and judge would be the new craze? Yet while some people do
it for the likes or for the comments, others do it to show that they are proud
of their bodies and the way that they look. Though where is this line drawn?
The selfie epidemic has spread like wildfire, but the true purpose of the
selfie itself is still up for grabs. It could be because some cannot help but
long for the attention of others- either good or bad- or it could be a new form
of self-acceptance. This essay will dive deep into the selfie epidemic to find
its true purpose. Will this turn out to be just another way to spread
narcissism, or will it become something more?
History
How did this selfie epidemic come to be? To understand the origin,
the meaning of selfie must be understood. A selfie is actually just another
word for a self-portrait, which one could imagine has been around for a very
long time. Some may argue that its true origin lies in “a daguerreotype image
taken by Robert Cornelius in 1839”, where he takes a photo of himself or in
other words, the original self-portrait (No filter needed: The origin
of the ‘selfie’).
While there is no real tally of all the selfies that were ever taken,
it is noted that many of the early selfie takers were artists who were using
film as a new medium. In the 1970’s it was seen that celebrities, such as Andy
Warhol, experimented with the selfie; still, at that time, film was still very
expensive and “it wasn't until the advent of digital that photographs became
truly instantaneous” which truly sparked an interest with the public (Day).
Also, a common misconception is that the selfie became popular on the Instagram
app when in actuality, “images tagged as #selfie began appearing on the
photo-sharing website Flickr as early as 2004” (Day). The selfie epidemic is
now at its peak, with the development of the front facing smartphone camera,
any people can now instantly take a self-portrait and post it for all to see.
The latest statistics for the selfie show that approximately “ 60% of UK
mobile phone users now own a smartphone and a recent survey of more than 800
teenagers by the Pew Research Centre in America found that 91% posted photos of
themselves online – up from 79% in 2006”(Day). As the selfie epidemic spreads,
the question still remains, why has this become so popular?
Examples
The effects of the selfie epidemic can be seen every day. Selfies
are now printed in tabloids as news, posted on social media, and sometimes even
hanging up in galleries. As stated previously, the debate over the first selfie
has still not been officially stated, but it has been narrowed down to either
Robert Cornelius, a Dutch born US chemist, and Joseph Byron, founder of the
Byron Company in Manhattan. It is said that Cornelius took the photo in the
back of his family store by “removing the lens cap and then running into frame
where he sat for a minute before covering up the lens again”(Open Knowledge
Foundation). In contrast, Byron took his photo by simply holding it with both hands,
due to its large size, and snapping the photo (Farberov). Both of these photos
were just simple documentations. A type of selfie that is out gaining
popularity would be the “body positivity selfie”. Celebrities such as Ashley
Graham have taken to social media to spread body positivity.
Any of the first selfies were taken by artists, and artists today
are using the selfies from then to link them to today's world. In the AGNSW
collection, a connection between the mirror in the Greek myth of Narcissus and
the mirrors used in early selfies. This seems to be a slight, while completely
obvious, jab at the narcissism behind the selfie epidemic (Tracy). The exposay
on this particularly section of the gallery read as if the artist is trying to
show that in every selfie, or self-portrait, there is a little bit of
narcissism. This could possibly be another reason that the selfie epidemic is
spreading. Everyone has a little bit of narcissism in them and they may be
posting these pictures of themselves for the attention that it will bring them
so they have reason to feel good about themselves. Selfies are slowly taking
over aspects of people’s lives without the even knowing it. These examples are
just a few cases that show just how far the selfie epidemic is and has
stretched into the lives of people all around.
Solutions
The
selfie addiction was recently rumored to have been added to the list of
disorders on the American Psychiatric Association, yet when researched, no
evidence was found of this. Though still, the best way to solve this selfie
outbreak is to treat it as an official disorder. An addiction that needs to be
cured. The first step to solving a problem is figuring out where the root of
that problem lies. Selfies can most directly be rooted to narcissism or low
self-esteem. While the two terms have very different meanings, there is a
mental illness that links the two; narcissistic personality disorder (NPD).
A
person with MPD has “an inflated sense of their
own importance and a deep need for admiration” which could explain the taking
and posting of a selfie (Staff). They search for likes and retweets in order to
gain that admiration that they so desperately need. They give off this overly
confident façade to hide the fact that they have “a fragile self-esteem that's
vulnerable to the slightest criticism” and they do all they can to keep this
hidden (Staff). It is said that the best treatment for people with MPD is “talk
therapy/ psychotherapy”, where they can talk through their problems that their
illness causes in their life (Staff). At first thought, many would think that
people who suffer from MPD would find it easy to talk about themselves, but as
time progresses and through several secessions with a therapist, their overly
confident façade starts to fade and their low self-esteem issues start to show
themselves. The way to get through this illness is to find out why they have
this low self-esteem and to fight that problem.
People who are
obsessed with taking and posting selfies use these pictures to come across as
confident when in actuality, they need the likes from these photos and
compliments in order to feel adequate. The way that these people specifically
could get through this obsession would be to find a healthier way of feeling
adequate. This inadequacy is seen in people all over the country. In fact, “it
is estimated that around 50 million Americans suffer from a diagnosable mental
disorder in any given year”; this includes but is not limited to eating
disorders and depression (Delis-Abrams). While some may see selfie taking as
just the latest craze of millennials, but more often than not, there are
underlying issues. The solution to this selfie epidemic is to notice when a
person is using these photos to fish for likes and compliments, especially when
these photos are not authentic. We need to make sure that these people no
longer see themselves in a negative light because it’s the image that they have
of themselves that is the problem. Our generation also has to learn how to
accept people for who they are and not try to push everyone into the same
little box.
Absurdities
Camus
believed that there was no one true meaning to life. That perfectly relates to
the selfie epidemic. There is no one meaning to the posting of a selfie. It is
absurd to even try to make sense of every single selfie that has ever been
taken. Everyone has their own reason as to why they post a selfie so trying to
figure out the meaning behind every selfie would be ultimately a waste of time.
If
Camus himself were to look upon the selfie epidemic and try to analyze it, he
would probably see a bunch of young people either trying to fight the absurdity
of life or embracing it. The people that post selfies as some grand statement
about body image or body positivity would be seen as the ones who are trying to
fight the absurdity of life; he won’t see it as if they have found the official
meaning to selfie taking. He would then see the people who just post unedited,
purposeless selfies, as the ones who are embracing the absurdity of life. These
people do not think that selfies are meant to be used to promote anything but
to just be a picture of yourself. Camus would want people to stop trying to
find the “true meaning” of every little thing in life and to stop trying to
find the purpose behind the actions of others because really, there is no
logical answer to the true meaning of anything.
Conclusion
Having a positive image about yourself is one of the most
important things a person should have. This selfie epidemic has stemmed from a
generation of people who suffer from low self-esteem. While not every person
who posts a picture of themselves is suffering from low self-esteem or even
narcissism, there is a point each of these people are trying to make. Some are
just proud to be who they are and want people to know that. Every photograph
has its purpose whether or not the photographer knows it. From the very first
selfie all the way up to the one you posted yesterday, each selfie was posted
for its very own reason. Whether it is for some big body positivity promotion or
because you think you look really good at the time. It is important that the
selfie epidemic is recognized for what it is because a lot of people who suffer
from it need help. This generation needs to learn modesty while also finding
healthy ways to feel adequate.
Millions of people are suffering from mental illnesses
that are centered on negative self-images. Selfies have become a coping
mechanism some of these people and this is the main problem. This is why the
selfie epidemic is spreading. Also, so many well-known people are joining in on
this craze. This means that not only do people do this for a self-esteem boost,
but also because they are surrounded by influential people that have latched on
to this craze and put their own label on it. Some say that they are just doing
it for fun while others say that the vulgar pictures they are posting are to
show that you should be proud of your body and that you yourself and the world
should embrace all body types. While the later reason is frequently used as an
excuse to post pictures of themselves that otherwise have no explanation, it is
also the best reason to post a selfie. This reasoning is what should be used to
combat those that post selfies in search for compliments.
In the world we live in today, many strive to be the
perfect image of themselves. Sometimes, they even strive to be the perfect
image of someone else. What people have to realize is that there is no such
thing as a perfect image. We can’t expect everyone to be a certain way, and we
can’t succumb to the pressure of being just like everyone else. If we were all
meant to be the same, then we all would have been made the same. People who
take an excessive amount of selfies in order to comply to the image they think
that everyone should have of them, they are unknowingly, devaluing their own
self-worth. While in this day and age it is hard to be yourself, you should
never sacrifice who you are as a person to fit the image that everyone else has
of you. The selfie epidemic has caused people to become self-conscious,
judgmental, but also self-aware. There is always that one person who is only a
bystander to the epidemic. They see all the people who are posting selfies and
looking for likes, and they realize that that is how they themselves must
appear when they have spurts of narcissism. They learn from the mistakes of the
people around them, and they them become self-aware of the image that they are
portraying for the world to judge.
While Camus may not believe that life and the things that
happen in it have an all-encompassing meaning, it still is important to look
for one. It is important to look for the meaning behind a persons’ actions for
their sake. A selfie may just seem like the silly trend of the moment but it is
bigger than that. A selfie can show you how someone really feels about
themselves. It is important to look after each other and sometimes, the selfie
can be the window to the soul.
Work Cited
Clercq,
Robin De. "Recovered Photo Reveals the 100-Year History of the
Selfie." Resource. N.p., 14 Feb. 2017. Web. 13 Mar. 2017.
Day,
Elizabeth. "How selfies became a global phenomenon." The Observer.
Guardian News and Media, 13 July 2013. Web. 13 Mar. 2017.
Delis-Abrams, A. (n.d.). Your Self Esteem is Up to
YOU. Retrieved April 13, 2017, from http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Abrams1.html
Farberov,
Snejana. "If you thought selfies were a new craze, think again: Amazing
self-portraits taken by pioneering photographer in 1909 put Instagram to shame
." Daily Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 09 Feb. 2014.
Web. 13 Mar. 2017.
McGuire,
Ashley E. "Enough with the Humble-Bragging." Acculturated.
Culture, 30 Jan. 2017. Web. 13 Mar. 2017.
"No
filter needed: The origin of the ‘selfie’." New York Post. New York
Post, 17 Oct. 2013. Web. 13 Mar. 2017.
Open
Knowledge Foundation. "Robert Cornelius’ Self-Portrait: The First Ever
“Selfie” (1839)." The Public Domain Review. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar.
2017.
Staff, M. (2014, November 18). Narcissistic
personality disorder. Retrieved April 13, 2017, from
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/narcissistic-personality-disorder/basics/definition/con-20025568
Tracy, Jerico. "The Selfie." Agnsw. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2017.
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