[Catalyst 2016] Final

BUT FIRST, LET ME TAKE A SELFIE
The Science Behind the Social Trend
S
elfies are arguably the largest
photographic trend of our generation.
“Selfie,” defined as “a photograph that
one has taken of oneself,” was Oxford
Dictionaries’ 2013 Word of the Year. 1 Since
then, selfies have exploded in popularity, with
everyone from the Pope to Kim Kardashian
taking them. Searches for the term have
increased by more than 2000%, and more
than 55 million Instagram posts are labeled
with “#selfie.” 1
BY JENNY REN
Why are we so in love with taking and sharing
selfies? Technological improvements, such as
front-facing cameras, and the rise of social
media make taking selfies extremely easy.
There are also social causes for our obsession
with selfies. Although we learn to recognize
and respond correctly to others’ facial
expressions, we lack an accurate perception
of our own faces. With selfies, we can now
create images of our own appearances
without the aid of another person. 2
Selfie critics claim that these self-portraits
mar our generation, suggesting that selfies
represent deeper psychosocial issues. Both
the advent of social media and upsurge of
selfies contribute to the importance our
society places on appearances. 3 Research
has linked selfies and social networking
to self-objectification and narcissism, with
people seeking likes and comments to offset
their insecurities. 4 Furthermore, although
social media was developed to enhance
rapport with others, another study in the UK
found that increased selfie posting through
social media actually decreases intimacy in
relationships. 5 Although the shared picture is
only of one person, it may negatively affect
that person’s connections with many others.
On the other hand, selfie supporters
are excited about the recent increase in
popularity. Keith Campbell, Professor of
Psychology at the University of Georgia,
asserts that selfies serve as a creative outlet. 3
This self-expression allows us to exert
greater control over how others perceive
us. Additionally, according to Dr. Pamela
Rutledge, director of the Media Psychology
Research Centre in Boston, selfies let
us experiment with different identities. 6
The ability to re-invent different parts of
ourselves gives us new opportunities to
temporarily change how we act and feel.
Contrary to popular belief, this “selective selfpresentation”
enhances self-esteem rather
than diminishing it. 7 Selfies are also a form
“RESEARCH HAS LINKED SELFIES
AND SOCIAL NETWORKING TO
SELF - OBJECTIFICATION AND
NARCISSISM, WITH PEOPLE
SEEKING LIKES AND COMMENTS
TO OFFSET THEIR INSECURITIES.”
of communication. “Your face is the caption
and you’re trying to explain a moment or tell
a story,” says Frédéric della Faille, the founder
and designer of Frontback, a photo-sharing
app that lets users take photographs using
both front- and rear-facing cameras. 8 To
people like Faille, selfies represent a dynamic
and exciting snapshot in time, not just a
static self-portrait. They portray diversity
and encourage social dialogue; we don’t post
selfies for others to observe, but instead to
engage others.
What does the selfie phenomenon suggest
about our society? Some claim selfies
represent superficiality and narcissism,
diminishing the quality of relationships and
augmenting personal insecurity. Others view
selfies as a harmless form of self-expression,
an attempt to understand who we are and
how others perceive ourselves. Selfies may be
a consequence of present social media and
digital culture, but they also serve as a visual
diary — a way to record our existence and
make an artistic statement.
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CATALYST 34