Seflie Sunday

Each and every Sunday, teenager's Instagrams are filled with photos of themselves, with the caption "selfie Sunday". A selfie, as recently added into the Webster Dictionary, means a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smart phone. This phenomenon has exploded over the last few years, and now comprises over 30% of all pictures taken by young people. (http://www.relevantmagazine.com). The question now arises: why are selfies so popular? 

In my opinion, the skyrocketing number of selfies can be attributed to the American theme of Narcissism. Narcissism is the admiration of oneself, mainly referring to physical and mental achievements. America is seen as a very narcissistic country, which would explain why people are taking so many pictures of themselves. With so many interesting things happening all around us, many Americans cannot look past their personal bubble, and decide to photograph themselves instead. This obsession with ourselves may strive from the importance the American public and media has put on material possessions. Things such as clothes, accessories, and even make-up is a way for both men and women to propel themselves into a higher class, and photographs wearing/using these material possessions may make the selfie photographer believe they are raising their social status. Also, people want to show off their stuff at all times, and selfies allow people to brag about their stuff in a discreet way. 

On a more optimistic level, the rise in the selfie may be due to the usefulness of the selfie. One of the most frustrating parts of texting is that it's very hard to convey tone. A simple photo displaying a facial expression can help to suggest sarcasm, humor, or whatever tone one wishes. 

As selfies represent the narcissistic attitude Americans hold about themselves, it also shows America's high level of innovation. Technology was missing a personal side, and selfies make this contact seem much more realistic, as it is literally face-to-face communication. I believe selfies are a very American idea, for both good and bad reasons.