Why Do You Take Selfies And How To Avoid It Going Wrong

Table of Contents The History Of SelfieWhat Makes A Selfie DifferentWhy People Take Selfies15 Reasons Why You Take…
Image of a girl taking a selfie with the caption are you addicted to selfies

“Hey, wait! Let’s take a selfie,” shouted my daughter, as we entered the movie hall. I hesitated a bit but then succumbed to the selfie-craze of the youngster.

Does this happen with you too? Are your kids obsessed or fascinated about taking selfies? Or probably you yourself love clicking selfies in private or public?

Are you sure you or your kids are not selfie addicts? If no, then please know that it is possible to overcome selfie addiction.

The selfie-culture has indeed enveloped people of all ages in its fancy.

You will find celebrities, politicians, sports stars, and even religious leaders posing for and posting their selfies on the Internet.

It all seems so harmless, and it IS for most people. Usually, we just indulge in taking selfies for the sake of following trends that are popular and do what is accepted as a norm by all.

Some people take selfies because they lack some personal qualities or aren’t really happy inside, and risk getting obsessed with it and even get hurt.

Do you know that selfie addiction sometimes makes people do wild things and go over the edge?

This news report says that if you are addicted to posting selfies then you may be selfish or a psychopath! However, I would not really sound that kind of an alarm if you seldom take and post a selfie.

But it is true that the weird behavior and practice of taking selfies have led to many deaths.

Even if you are not going that far, just being habitual of taking selfies many times a day itself is enough to disturb your personal, social, and professional life.

You may risk yourself becoming a narcissist and self-centered.

Numerous reasons and thoughts crossed my mind standing there during the selfie session in the movie hall.

I forcibly tried to smile at the smartphone hanging in the air, clasped in my daughter’s far stretched hand.

As the group selfie was clicked, I folded my artificial grin within my lips and shot back a quizzed face.

“What’s wrong in taking a selfie?” asked my daughter in an irritated voice that had an element of surprise and looked at me as if I came from the medieval ages!

I stopped and thought for a moment. There is really nothing wrong in clicking a few occasional selfies.

These can be stored as memories in our online albums and phones, as we don’t use cameras all that much nowadays.

In fact, selfies are an age-old phenomenon. Let me explain.

What is a selfie: It is defined as a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and shared via social media. According to Wikipedia, a selfie is a self-portrait photograph or group photograph featuring the photographer, typically taken with a hand-held digital camera or camera phone.

The History Of Selfie

One of the earliest accounts of selfies are the self-portraits by famous painters like Vincent Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Paul Gauguin, and many others of the medieval age, which is the 14th to 17th-century period.

Self portraits or selfies of famous painters

That was the age of renaissance in Europe. Is the history repeating itself and the present selfie culture too becoming a hallmark of modern renaissance?

Well, don’t know about that but I know that the Renaissance artists used self-portraits for self-promotion, to advertise their skills and to capture the lifestyle of their era.

That is what people do with selfies today.

  • Celebrities like Kim Kardashian use it to promote themselves among their fans and for fun.
  • Politicians like Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, use it for popularity, to connect with the young selfie generation, and as part of their publicity strategy.
  • The general public, including my daughter, loves to capture the moment of life with a selfie.

The earliest selfies or photo portraits, as they are better known as, were taken in the late 19th century.

With technological advances in the early 20th century, the photographic self-portraiture became more common and widespread.

World's first selfie taken of a man
First known selfie, taken by Robert Cornelius in 1839

The word “Selfie” came into being in the early 2000s, but these were not the kind of selfies that really took the world by storm in 2013.

The early social networking site MySpace started the trend of Internet selfies in 2006 and later the trend got picked up on smartphones, as they improved in design and technology.

The year 2010 was a turning point as the present day selfies started becoming popular with the youngsters and “Selfie” became a top buzzword by 2012.

It was popular as the “girl selfie” initially, but soon adults and men too were gripped with the selfie fiver.

What Makes A Selfie Different

A selfie is not a photo portrait. Here are the characteristics of a selfie:

  • It is not taken by a second or third person
  • The photographer is herself or himself present in the photo
  • The camera or phone camera is generally held at an arm’s length (if not using the selfie stick)
  • Usually, a selfie shot is taken from a high angle, or the selfie-taker shows the left cheek
  • Selfies are mostly shared on social media or through other features like WhatsApp to other smartphone owners
Group selfie taken by Ellen Degeneres and other Hollywood actors
Famous Hollywood group selfie clicked at the Oscars

What makes selfies different is that they eliminate the need of an outsider to click your photo for you.

I hope you recollect the numerous occasions when you asked some stranger to take your photo with your camera, especially when you tour out alone or with your friends and family.

The same problem is now solved by taking a selfie or even a wefie and groupfie! Selfie sticks are prevalent now so that you do not have to call upon any stranger to do you a favor.

The biggest advantage of a selfie is that you can present yourself as you want, click the photo any time you want, and make yourself believe that you look the best. 🙂

Why People Take Selfies

This is a very important question. What’s so special about selfies? Why does it charm you so much?

As mentioned earlier, in the Renaissance era, it was only the wealthy that got their self-portraits painted to show their status and feel good about themselves. It was the way to go for the wealthy.

Basically, it was to satisfy their ego.

Why do we do things that are primarily to show others? It gives us pride.

Pride within limits gives a feeling of self-respect and personal worth. Sometimes you like to show off your achievements, and share your happiness.

Taking a selfie gives you a good feeling. You may also want to have fun just clicking selfies or use it as your style statement.

But soon and for some, taking selfies becomes a regular affair and a habit of gratification. This gradually leads to obsession.

People start looking for validation and become dependent on them. They literally throw their reins in other people’s hands.

There are people who become selfie addicts. In fact, there are some sites that report selfie addiction as termed by doctors and psychiatrists to be one of the latest mental disorders or illnesses.

A term “Selfitis” is quite popular on the Internet claimed to be coined by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). However, it is incorrect. APA has not defined anything like “Selfitis” and it is not included as one of the mental disorders or illnesses. But, it is true that taking selfies does become an addiction if not dealt with properly and leads to harmful results.

Don’t worry – not every selfie taker is an addict. We also take selfies because it is now so easy and so accessible.

However, the point to note is that there are many more things of the same nature – that is, easy and accessible, yet we choose “taking selfies” out of them.

So, this means it has something to do with your “Self” that you are so easily and quickly attracted to it.

An image with many boys and girls taking selfies with their smartphones

15 Reasons Why You Take Selfies And How They Can Go Wrong

Pride or vanity is not always the reason to take a selfie. Sometimes, it is just as natural as calling somebody on your mobile. Or simply put, just an activity – perhaps to have fun.

It’s all about the choices you make that define whether you are a selfie addict or not.

Here are some okay and not-so-okay reasons why you may take selfies.

1) You want to record your life

You want to capture every moment of your life as far as possible, and share it with others. This may include your private moments and life, or special occasions.

It goes wrong only if you cross the limits and start taking selfies of your private and intimate moments and start posting them on the social media or report minute-to-minute personal activities. People generally do not care nor like it, and you may even regret them later.

2) You want monuments for memory’s sake

You visit new places and want to take your snap with the buildings or popular structures as a proof of your visit, just as we used to do with the old-fashioned cameras.

There is nothing wrong if you want to take a selfie with the Eiffel Tower in the background. What is of concern is posting them all for public consumption and then await validation. It also raises your privacy and security concerns.

3) You want people to know you met someone special

I bet you will not like to miss a chance to take a snap with a popular celebrity. You cannot wait to tell everybody that you did something, not everybody got to do!

Even I might do this if I’m with Barrack Obama and I have a mobile in my hand because you can’t call a photographer unless the meeting is preplanned. And I might share it also. But taking and posting selfies with just everyone you meet is a bit too much. People may even befriend you for such frequent postings.

4) You are bored, and you just want to pass the time

You have got nothing to do, so taking selfies becomes a pass time activity, and you start using your creative brain and ideas to make best use of the time.

This depends on person to person. I’d probably not make that choice and I have better alternatives to taking selfies, like pursuing hobbies or practicing mindfulness. It can be risky if taking selfies become your regular pass time activity. You start killing time, which is the most valuable resource that you have.

5) You want to project yourself in a certain way

You do not like the way you are or you want to create a different persona of yourself, so people start liking you. You shoot your best face angels with different filters to show you are pretty and happy.

It can go wrong as you are trying to fake yourself. You also seek validation and are not happy with your real self. This can increase your unhappiness quotient in the long run. Instead of developing confidence in yourself, you depend on your selfies for it. You need to learn to be yourself.

6) You feel low and want people to lift up your spirits

You feel depressed or feel the need of sympathy or motivating words from your fans and followers on the social media. You also try to regain self-worth and self-confidence.

This seems so harmless but not all that necessary. The better options are to seek help of your friends, peers, family, or experts like a counselor. Looking for sympathy may set you on the wrong track and make you vulnerable and weak.

7) You want to seek attention online

You probably try your best ways to take a selfie and post it online to get likes, shares, and recognition because you do not get that in your offline life.

Everybody likes attention. But this way you will end up wasting your time and drift from reality. Wouldn’t it be a better alternative if you seek attention on the good work that you do and improve yourself and your offline relationships so people start liking you? 

8) You crave appreciation

Nobody at home tells you that you look beautiful or pretty, so you resort to the online medium. You fulfill your needs with the reactions of the online fraternity.

You can fall for the fake appreciation trap. You need to realize that most people like you for who you are and not how you look. It’s better to find out why people do not appreciate you and improve on those factors, rather than look for pseudo-appreciation.

9) You just follow people

There is no special reason for you to take selfies, but you do it because others, especially your friends, are doing it, and you do not want to be left out.

Yes, this is somewhat true especially for the teenage phase. However, you can make efforts to develop your own identity and principles. You don’t always have to do what others are doing. You may end up doing things that you really do not want to do.

10) You just want to be a part of something

You want to associate with things that are happening in the now. It is the equivalent of being in the moment and with the times to you.

There is nothing wrong in doing so, as far as it does not have any negative repercussions. You need to develop your own guidance system and follow what is right and within limits. Not all trends may be good for you.

11) You love yourself

Self-love is not bad. However, you love your looks so much that you keep taking selfies and sharing it with people. You like it as it boosts your ego.

It can go wrong and turn you into a narcissist. You should be happy about your looks and use that in conjunction with your good personality and good nature to win hearts, and not through selfies.

12) You are confused and look for an identity

You feel you are many things, or you may also feel like nothing. You click and post various selfies to create an identity and seek feedback.

Some people pass through such a phase in life. But don’t use selfies and validation to create an identity for you. Instead, work on your personal, social, and professional aspects of life to do so.

13) You just do it for fun

There is no other specific reason but to have fun with your selfies. You want others to have fun as well, especially when it is group selfie.

There is nothing wrong in taking harmless selfies for fun. It might be good to capture some light moments in life. But as a rule of thumb, avoid going beyond limits, or things can go wrong. People tried clicking selfies with loaded gun and got killed!

14) You just want to connect with people

You feel the visual medium is best to make new connections and to communicate with your existing contacts. A picture can express more than a thousand words.

Of course, visual communication is more effective. Video chats are good and best online alternative. However, too many selfies might be counterproductive in making connections – it may act as deterrent in developing relationships!

15) You want to beat the competition

Your friend, colleague, or enemy posts selfies and you either want to beat, challenge or surpass them. You want to show that you are better and the best.

Do selfies define you? Do you think wasting your time or risking your life is worth the competition? You can try to be different and use your time and effort in doing something constructive, which will make you popular and successful for real and long time. Don’t be  part of the rat-race and risk your life for a few moments of fame.

Well, different people have different reasons to take selfies.

I cannot write them all, but you may want to read this NYTimes news article about selfie that seeks the feedback of readers on their views and experiences with selfies.

You may not agree with all that I wrote, but I hope you agree that one needs to honor limits, exercise moderation, and try better alternatives.

How Taking Selfies Can Get You Addicted And Cause Harm

Let me make this clear that I’m not against the selfie culture. I agree that taking a selfie is the latest fad that everybody seems to follow. It is okay to indulge and take a selfie occasionally.

After all, we are humans, and we like to be social or even like to feed on appreciation and flattery.

However, if you self-indulge excessively, then it is not normal. Excessive selfies coupled with positive feedback could get you hooked on to this behavior.

Here are how selfies can go wrong:

1) Doing Weird Things

You try to capture every moment of your life through selfies – both good and the bad.

You even take selfies when you are sleeping, in the bathroom, while driving, or even when someone dies.

This is a sign that the good selfie habit has become a bit too much, don’t you think so? Would you believe some people take a selfie with the dead body of their loved ones?

Recently, it was in the news that a lady found an intruder in her bed. But before calling the police, she preferred to click a selfie with the sleeping stranger.

You want to be in the news, right? You want to be the talk-of-the-day and be the one who did something different.

You want to take a selfie that gets you many likes, shares, and comments on the social media.

However, your weird selfies can cause you embarrassment and loss of reputation.

2) Taking Risks

Many people do awful things and take selfies that risks their life. Many have got killed because they were trying to take a selfie while driving.

You would say why in the world they would do that. This is not all – there have even been airplane crashes because the pilot was busy clicking a selfie!

Now, isn’t that the height of taking a selfie! Eventually, you plummet and perish.

People have died after falling from a high-rise because they were trying to take a unique selfie.

Some people just do anything and don’t think twice for gaining quick popularity – all for a few seconds of fame.

Well, these people did get framed into history by getting a mention in this post – but at what cost!

To what extent would you go for appreciation, attentions, fame, and popularity?

3) Faking The Selfies

You take a selfie from certain angles and then photo-edit them to enhance its appearance, camouflage the defects, and add special effects.

You take several selfies before selecting one and then share calling it a spontaneous selfie!

You take pre-planned selfies and then mislead people by telling them a lie – stop faking selfies.

What you also do is fake your identity and project yourself as someone that you are not in reality.

Gradually, you fall in love with your selfie-personality, which later leads to big identity crisis.

If you always click selfies with pretty angles and cute smiles, you are fooling others. That is not your true self. This is about surrounding yourself in an air of false pride.

Moreover, you are just focusing on your physical self. There is more to you than just a pretty face and a cute smile.

What about your inner self and making your life better with self-improvement?

Well, here are some more reasons why selfie addiction can do more harm than good. This post lists some identity and privacy issues of taking and posting a selfie that you probably never thought of before.

Okay, enough of serious talk. Here is a fun video about selfie addiction. 🙂

(Selfie Addiction Center ~ YouTube Video)

Finally, who will want you to keep taking selfies – there will always be some people who will encourage you to take more selfies:

The smartphone and the selfie stick makers come out with models designed especially for selfies and groupfies.

The social networks or some websites also because the more you post selfies on their site, the more they benefit.

And your selfie-taking friends – they would want you to be one of them and mutually exchange selfies.

However, if you really want to know the reason you are addicted to selfies, you need to look deeper into yourself.

At the base of all things, it could be either the lack of love, acceptance, attention, self-esteem, or confidence in yourself and in your life that sets you to seek it through selfies.

You really need to accept yourself as you are and try to improve to the best of your abilities.

I’m sure if you found your hidden abilities and pursued hobbies or careers of your interest, you would have little time for taking selfies.

So, get busy with work!

Let me wrap up this post with a poll. Here is the question – Are you a selfie addict?

[polldaddy poll=8918330]

I hope you were honest taking the poll. Do check the results and know where you stand.  🙂

Here is wishing you all the best to take the best selfie of your life, which is the selfie of your inner self. You can do that through meditation – seriously, read this post to know about it.

Though I know my daughter is not a selfie addict, I hope she reads this post and finds it useful to help other teenagers of her age, who risk their future by spending much of their time in the selfie-taking craze.

Over To You –

Do you really think taking selfies can become an addiction? What makes you take a selfie and post it on the social media? What more harm selfie addiction can cause? Share your views in the comments.

Photo Credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

53 comments
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  1. Hey Vinay Kachhara,

    I must express my amazement at this post. It’s becoming increasingly evident that digital self-documentation is becoming a menace for certain individuals. Just the other day, I encountered a lady who would capture a selfie-like photo of nearly everything she encountered. If she hasn’t realized it yet, this habit is bound to turn into an addiction in the near future. The post is truly great, and the accompanying video complements it perfectly.

  2. Ha Ha. Very interesting. Well, I see selfies as a good way of capturing the moment. Thanks a lot for sharing

  3. selifie is the best way to explore aur feelings through pics..lovely post about selfies what mistakes we do will never repeat after reading this post .good to see the post and facts what we do..thanks for sharing

  4. Hi Vinay,
    I wouldn’t say I’m addicted to taking selfies but I must admit that I have to take about 20 of them before I get one that I like. I typically take them to remember a moment or because I was bored.

  5. Hi Vinay,

    What an Interesting post!

    Though this was published a few months back somehow I missed this, may be the word selfie was new to me!

    Yes, till recent time it was a taboo to me!

    The reason I will write here, you and others may laugh at me and my brand me as an out dated fellow!

    Whatever you call me I will tell you the truth here!

    Though I watched people especially youngsters taking selfie i never thought of taking one. In a recently concluded blog meet i tried to take a selfie with a reputed blogger from the city I failed it and lastly he helped me in taking one selfie!! LOL

    This is my experience with this!

    Anyways I am happy that I am not addicted to it and sometimes I feel that it as something missing!

    This post talks lot about this wonderful and trending subject. I could learn a lot about it. The concluding sub heading: “15 Reasons Why You Take Selfies And How They Can Go Wrong” is a wonderful information to check and find out in which reason you are in and how it effects to your normal life!

    A Well written piece Vinay!:-)

    Thank you for sharing this timely piece. 🙂
    I am sure this will be an eye opener to many!

    Thanks for sharing that funny video too!
    As you said, in the midst of those serious talk few jovial moments!
    Good Idea! Wonderful!I liked that! 🙂

    All together a wonderful information and warning to those who are addicted to it!

    Keep sharing

    Have a great week ahead

    ~ Philip

  6. I enjoyed this post so much. Usually I don’t read such lengthy posts but this such an interesting one, that I read each and every line.
    I am also someone who loves to take selfies. But yes I am not obsessed with it and I definitely don’t indulge in it every time I am hanging with my friends or family to make myself look cool.
    And the last video! OMG! It’s hilarious! I agree that many people need to set control on it.

  7. Hello Sir, its been long i showed up here so firstly lets take a selfie.. 😀

    Talking about selfie, am not an addict of selfie but my Girlfriend is such a selfie Freak, to the extent she bought a selfie stick..

    the most painful thing about selfie addicts is that they don’t know when it becomes too much, i guess it works just like every other addict..

    I will have to share this post with us..

    Thank you very much
    Kind Regards

  8. I can see now a days people are addicted of selfie and especially young generation. Thankfully when I was a child we didn’t have cellphones.
    Interesting post Vinay. Thanks for sharing history about Selfie which was interesting for me to know.

    Regards,
    Baibhav

  9. That is really a very unique post i read today and also this was required.

    I think girls are more responsible for selfies.

    One of my friend is known as selfie King in my college and i will sure send him this article to read.

  10. Hello Vinay,

    That was a very interesting article you wrote. The example about people who are obsessed with it is quite hilarious but also true.

    Kudos

  11. Yes this generation has got very much addicted to technology , mainly smartphones taking selfies and other is social networking. Because of being crazy about selfies recently may be 6 months back a guy meet his doom while trying to take a snapshot with tiger in zoo. So taking selfies will be a sweet memory but if it so often then that may result in disastrous. Thank you for sharing this post and giving insight about selfie addiction…

  12. Hello Vinay Kachhara,

    Selfie is recent addiction to young people but I think as long as it is not addiction we can enjoy taking selfie. But sometimes its good to see own face picture with selfie.

    Have a nice weekend 🙂

  13. Hi, Vinay and Harleena,

    Oh my – I found this informative! I sort of wanted to peek inside the ‘why’ behind why people take so many selfies, and I was intrigued to find all these reasons you so aptly listed out.

    I really don’t take selfies, and never got in the habit.

    I see so many people posting them daily on Facebook, and it gets a bit tiring after a while. You start to think “this person is stuck on themselves…” because of how much attention they are wanting, and the comments where they crave to hear the wonderful words “You’re beautiful!”

    That VIDEO was hilarious! LOL Unfortunately, the problem is serious, and you’ve covered some help for those affected, so thank you for that!

    Awesome post, and spreading the word!

    Have a good evening.
    Carol Amato

  14. Hi Vinay

    This is a wonderful post and I must commend you for discussing a very important trend on the internet.

    What you have highlighted in this post is that too much of a thing can be harmful.

    Selfies can be cool and fun but gradually they can make people behave weird. I have a friend who takes Selfies almost each day. She takes an average of 30 pics of herself everyday.

    Strange it is a trend that is growing. I am glad that there is a post to caution us on the effects of Selfies.

    Thanks for Sharing….

  15. Hi Vinay, Sorry I’m late to comment here but right after I read your article I had a long discussion with my daughters about the dangers of selfies. They’re teenagers and they take it for granted but I told them about your article and about how two people I know of died taking selfies. I think people get so focused on getting the perfect shot that they forget everything else.

    My girls got a selfie stick and we had fun at an extended family dinner trying to get everyone around the table in the shot. The trick is not to get the stick to show in the photo!

    My girls don’t overdo the selfie craze, but there is a danger that they could. Thanks so much, Vinay, for taking a long, hard look at this phenomenon and showing us what it means to individuals and society. This article generated an important discussion in our family!

  16. Hi Vinay Sir
    I didn’t know that selfie has a deep background also. I have many friends who are crazy for taking selfies. It’s not bad when we take selfies. But, everything has it’s own limitations. I have seen people crossing their limits. They post weird photos on Facebook. They are only craving for more likes.

    Nowadays, there is a craze for the new app called dubsmash. It’s a selfie video app where you are showing your dubbing talent. For time pass, it’s a good app. But, people are going crazy while uploading different videos.

    I am not against any apps. But, they should not be used at the expense of our precious time. We must not involve digitally in such a manner that we start losing our physical presence.
    Thanks for coming up with this different post.

  17. Hi Vinay,

    It’s an unique and interesting topic here! 🙂

    Yes, I agree that selfie could become addicted. I saw a few people like that. There are some cases say that selfie could be a disaster if not done carefully. In my country there are even people who fall into the crater of Mount Merapi as it took selfie above the crater of the volcano.

    You may do selfie, but it must be done with caution. 🙂

    Thanks for sharing this unique post, Vinay.
    Have a great weekend!

    ~Nanda

  18. hi vinay; now you’ve done it you’ve gone and made me think about something i was about to do without thinking too much about it. I got a new iPhone back in april and made one attempt at a selfie. i missed completely and was thinking about having my brother show me approximately where to put my phone to take them in the future. hey us blind kids like to play with the cool kids too. 🙂 but now I’m not so sure. i do have an instagram account but i’d really rather figure out how to use that to share images that will help me sell amusement equipment or promote my coaching practice. maybe i am too serious. I do remember having to ask people to take photographs for you. and that scene in vacation where the guy steals their camera while they are standing in the fountain is classic. i have also heard that some museums and other public places are starting to prohibit selfies. thanks for writing such a great post. i know i’m not a narsasist but i do remember how good it felt when i would post an update on my weight loss with a photo and people would tell me how great i looked. take care vinay, max

  19. Hi Vinay,

    I think selfies are cool but too often I think people go over board with them. Matter of fact, if I see too many selfies come across by Facebook timeline I will stop following that person.

    I’m seeing more and more men taking selfies and it seems weird to me. I believe it’s because they are trying to project themselves a certain way just like you said.

    People need be mindful of not just the external danger of selfies but also what it may be telling them about themselves internally. This post clearly covers both.

    Thanks.

  20. Oh my God!! so much Mr.Vinay, so many thoughts for a selfie….I do like to take selfies, but its just to see how I am looking. And, from the poll I do stand in the top with 36% … 😀

  21. Hi Vinay,

    That’s a very interesting subject and I had not even thought about all that you mentioned here in relation to selfies.

    As I’m traveling Europe and don’t always want to ask people to take pictures of me, so I do selfies at times, and videos as well, because I have no one to hold the camera while I’m shooting the video of me talking to my readers or target market.

    When I become concern, though, is when I see people taking undressed pictures of themselves and post them on Facebook, that’s also a bit scary and they may want to read this.

    When painters of the past were doing their self portraits, these were really the first selfies, indeed.

    Thank you for this great insight.

    ~Sylviane

  22. Hi Vinay,

    A topic that is well deserved to talk about…Selfies. For me, I take them and share it with family if I am at the beach, or in front of someplace interesting to share with the kids. As for sharing them online Hmmm I think I did a few times. Just to personalize a dinner out on a special occasion.

    But selfies can be a problem for kids. Those “duck lips” selfies of young girls look provocative. I always think it can lead to danger. Kids just don’t think about how many trolls there are online. It is so easy for a “bad guy” to find out their exact location these days and that to me is dangerous.

    I do see my nieces do this a lot and try to warn them, but the “selfie generation” overpowers my words.

    -Donna

    1. Hi Donna,

      I think your reasons for taking selfies are justified and quite normal. I might do the same. But yes, its the youngsters who are vulnerable and who take it to extremes without thinking much about the repercussions.

      You are right about the dangers online and if the trolls are hackers, then it gets doubly risky. A recent example of what you just quoted is what happened in Syria – the terrorist took a selfie in front of a pubic building, posted it on social media, and 22 hours later the US fighters bombed the place – it is possible to trace the locations on visual and online code clues.

      I can understand how you feel helpless at times because I guess its the same scenario everywhere – these kids just want to be a part of this trend or movement they identify themselves with and its difficult to put sense into them.

      Thanks for your visit and valuable comment.

  23. I must say this is so Amazing.
    I need no one to tell me how it’s becoming more of menace to some individuals.

    I met a lady the other day who would take a selfie(ish) of almost anything she came in contact with.

    If she’s not realised yet that it’s going to be am addiction down the lane, I bet she would soonest.

    It’s a great post. And that video did justice to it.

    1. Hi Olalekan,

      Thanks for attesting the dangers of selfie addiction. I know some people also frequently take selfies with every food they eat – there’s no limit to going crazy about selfies.

      The thing about addiction is that the addict doesn’t know when he or she crosses the line. It really becomes difficult to accept that because it seems so normal to them. I hope the lady you mentioned is just having a short affair with selfies. 🙂

      Thanks for visiting and commenting and glad you liked the video as well. 🙂

  24. Hello Vinay,

    Wow! What a thorough post that was? Am so impressed by the effort you put in in every single post of yours. You’ve left no stone unturned. Great post!

    Coming to the act of taking selfies. I took the poll and I’m glad that am no selfie addict and rarely click selfies. I always get my husband or other people to take my pics. I love requesting others to take a picture for me. This selfie thing is kind of making people become selfish and as you mentioned narcissistic.

    I was at the train station last week, coming back home from work. An elderly woman was standing a few metres away from me. She had two bags. One in her hand the other on the ground. As soon as the train arrived she was in such a hurry to board that she left the other bag on the platform. Two girls were right besides her. But they were so involved in making those funny pouts, weird faces and taking selfies they noticed nothing….another gentleman picked up the bag and gave it to the rightful person.

    It was disturbing to me thinking somebody could be in trouble or even lose their life in the fraction of a second. Had we not been taking selfies we could be helping or save a person’s life.

    Technology is improving day by day. At what cost? To make it a lot more easier to take selfies? I believe it will only make matters worse in terms of people going to extreme lengths just for a selfie.

    I don’t know if you heard how Roger Federer was upset at the French Open when a fan stormed onto the court just before the game to get a selfie with Roger. How disrespectful and in disregard is itbto a player who’s got a huge task in front of him.

    Youngsters are taking selfies one step too far. I also agree with point #12. They are confused. Looking to get validated. If only the amount of time spent on selfies was spent on self improvement! Sigh!

    Bookmarked your post for future reference in case my kids become crazy about selfies:)

    Thank you so much for such a creative and thoughtful post. You’re the BEST

    1. Hi Hema,

      Thank you for the compliments, I’m glad you’re impressed with this post.

      That’s true, we all take pics and get ours taken by others, and it is all perfectly normal. Even taking occasional selfies when you do not have anyone to click for you is okay too. If you want to take out anything positive from selfies, its that people learn to smile a lot! So probably that helps to lower their anxiety levels and spreads the happiness waves all around. 🙂

      But getting addicted, self-centered, and getting killed for selfies is what defames it badly. It’s sad to know from your account of what happened with the elderly lady that the girls were just not bothered. I’ve come to experience that teenagers and young adolescents are generally less sensitive and caring and more self-centered as a natural trait of the age. The selfie craze is an add-on to making them completely absorbed in themselves.

      You’re right about the technology and it always has its pros and cons, the good and the bad effects on the people and society. Technology is going to make it more difficult when you will have “glove” mobiles that you can wear in your hand and “drone” cams that will rover around your head and keep you indulged in taking selfies 24×7!

      The selfie phenomenon is not going to fade away any sooner, so the only way out is to understand life and learn self-control. People should know the real concept of beauty and the value of time. People are just getting selfie-crazy as that gives them the kick, cheap thrills, and free popularity, and of course, instant gratification. In this fast moving world, it is important to hold ground and stay connected to your real self to avoid such uncontrolled behaviors, but then people just want to have fun, and that’s all they care about.

      It’s the youth that I too worry about. Many will get over it with time, but then by then, as you point out, they would have wasted so much of it. It’s the age that’s most vulnerable and you’ve had something or the other in every decade that has gripped them – the latest of them is the selfies.

      I hope this post will remain relevant till your kids grow up! Thanks again for the appreciation and I’m glad you enjoyed the post. 🙂

    1. Hi Lorraine,

      I’m happy that you like the post.

      I guess this is truly an international topic and concern as I think you’ll find selfie-taking youth everywhere in the world. 🙂

      Thanks for your visit and comment.

  25. Hi Vinay

    Thanks for sharing such a detailed post on quite an important topic and I appreciate the way you worked hard to put all the relevant points into it.

    I liked the last part of the post more as I sometimes shock to see how our younger generation is going mad for making selfies and forget the fact they are human beings and from a civilized world.

    Creativity and madness are quite different things. It is so good to be creative while doing any kind of art-work but getting mad to be unique or look different does not appeal to anyone.

    Earlier just the word selfie was used for all types of self-made photos be they capture one person or more than one. But now different terms like groupfie and grandfie are use to differentiate the type of selfie.

    Thanks a lot for sharing this awesome post that has quite wonderful info about the topic.

    1. Hi Mi Muba,

      Glad you like the post. The selfie phenomenon is indeed important because it mainly impacts the future of the society, and that is the youth.

      Yes, its sad what many youngsters do for their selfie-craze and the deaths caused due to selfies going wrong is profoundly unfortunate. You’re right that people cross the line and probably do not realize that their acts are becoming more mad and foolish than creative.

      It would be no surprise if a new kind of selfie is invented in the near future – dronefie… people carrying mini-drones and clicking selfies all the time from all the angles! 🙂

      Thanks for visiting and sharing your thoughts on this post.

  26. Everyone loves to take selfies with their loved once these days. taking selfies with friends will always fun. And selfie is most popular among girls specially 🙂
    Nice post vinay.(Y)

    1. Hi Saransh,

      True, taking selfies is a popular trend and most people follow it. And it is indeed fun most of the times and most girls absolutely love it. However, its sad that some people lose control over their self and get addicted to taking selfies.

      Thanks for your comment.

  27. Hi Vinay sir, it is very interesting and helpful post for understanding the concept behind taking selfies. I don’t think that now we can elaborate this topic further because you have explained this beyond our thinking capacity about selfies.

    however this can me my personal experience that I learnt after reading this post and this may vary among other readers.

    But in the end I would like to tell you that I am trying to become a blogger like you and Harleena Ma’am after reading your valueable posts on every topic a blogger should read or know about.

    Once again thanks for sharing such a wonderful and knowledgeable post on taking selfies.

    Mohinder Paul Verma

  28. Oh, Thats an awesome.
    I am also addictive of Selfies but post it on social media very less often.
    A very interesting post I like. This will be my favorite post even.
    Thanks

    1. Hi Vashishtha,

      I appreciate that you admit that you are addicted of taking selfies. But you do not do it for the need of validation from others and to feed on appreciation and attention of others. So, you are in the safe zone. 🙂

      Glad you like the post and thanks for your comment.

  29. Hi Vinay sir,

    Loved the post about selfies. If selfie addicts are considered as selfie-kings and queens, I am a slave in that context. I used to take selfies with my point and shoot camera once (before the word ‘selfie’ was born), but never shared them on social media.

    One of the horrible selfies that I’ve seen on social media these days is a guy taking selfie with his dad’s lifeless body. That was psychotic and you were so right about addiction.

    Thank you for such a wonderfully informative post.

    Have a great week ahead 🙂

    1. Hi Sasidhar,

      I think its the abuse of selfies that got it into bad light. I remember having taken occasional selfies with webcams more than a decade ago. But people now have made selfies a point of prestige and medium of popularity.

      It’s true that the selfie-craze has gripped so hard and deep in the minds of the youngsters that they want to do any and every odd and unique thing they can to get a selfie with most likes, shares, and comments. Definitely these young people have something wrong with their self. I hope and wish they recover and get on with normal life.

      Thanks for sharing your thoughts and glad you liked the post. You too have a wonderful week.

  30. Ha! That video is hilarious, Vinay! The one girl was taking a selfie with a dead body in the background. I hate taking a selfie. I hate photos of myself but since social media profiles require photos, they had to be selfies. Who would I ask to take my pic for a profile? So I do it myself. The results are not exactly great. I think it’s a nice trend for the beautiful people though. I know plenty of young girls that post flashy selfies with cleavage or pouty lips.I feel bad for the girls who don’t feel so attractive. Maybe that’s part of the reason young people are feeling so much pressure and anxiety today.

    Wanted to mention that way back, the artists like Van Gogh would pain their portraits for practice. It wasn’t really a selfie in that way but a skill refinement exercise. Fun post, Vinay!

    1. Hi Lisa,

      Yes, you deserved a fun video indeed after all that hard and serious talk. 🙂

      Talking of people taking selfies with dead bodies, people have become so selfie-minded or selfie-centered that people stop just to take selfies with road accident victims, take selfies with refugees of natural tragedy victims, take selfies with people doing crazy things – just to be in the limelight and streamfeed. I think this all is sickening and that’s the heights of selfie addiction.

      Occasional selfies and selfies for valid requirements are of course perfectly normal. I guess by ‘beautiful people’ you mean those who look pretty – yes, they like to flaunt their facial beauty and some get so ‘fixed’ with the act that they can’t help not doing it many times a day. It’s sad to see the youngsters falling for the trend and then trying to compete with each other and crossing limits in that process. You’re right that the selfie culture is a cause of stress and discrimination for some youngsters.

      I take your point about the masters painting their self-portraits – they used it to perfect their skills and also to promote their business of creating self-portraits. It were selfies in the sense that the person who created it were present in the painting too in prime focus.

      Well, this was a good discussion and thanks for sharing your thoughts and views on this issue. Glad you liked the post. 🙂

  31. Hi Vinay

    I enjoyed the post – a very refreshing topic of course. Taking selfies is trending and I believe it can become an addition. I say that because I look at my daughter everyday taking so many pictures with her cell phone it is unbelievable! Of course I do take pictures of myself as I find it to be fun and for me it helps to boost my confidence. I also take selfies with new outfits and other memorable occasions such as birthdays, mothers’s day etc. Although sadly, I just lost ALL of my pics/selfies (from as far back as Dec 2012) at the end of last month due to my phone being damaged beyond repair. 🙂

    Where it becomes harmful is when people begin to worship and idolizing themselves. Just my thoughts.

    Thanks for sharing.

    1. Hi Yvonne,

      Yes, most youngsters are hooked on to taking selfies and some get addicted too. It’s become the new normal and when it does so, nobody questions it or deliberate on its ill effects.

      Taking occasional selfies is just fine; its only when it becomes a force of habit and you can’t be without taking selfies, then it becomes a concern, or as you mention, when people become narcissist. I’m sorry for the loss of your selfies but you can always build a new collection. 🙂

      Thanks for visiting and sharing your thoughts and experiences.

  32. Hi Vinay,

    I wouldn’t say I’m addicted to taking selfies but I must admit that I have to take about 20 of them before I get one that I like. I typically take them to remember a moment or because I was bored.

    I remember when selfies started to become popular on instagram. I though people were talking them because they had nothing else to take pictures of lol. It just seemed like overload.

    ~Lea

    1. Hi Lea,

      As I mentioned, taking selfies is not bad or a taboo. It’s just that it should not cause you or others harm and should not be a hindrance in your personal progress or development.

      One more aspect of taking selfies is trying to achieve perfection – that perfect angle and smile. 🙂 We usually try to adhere to a norm considered perfect by others or all. Or what we think is perfect is based on our observances and what we think people like. So, in the process, we try to be like what others like, and not project our reality.

      It’s our human nature and tendency to do what others are doing and be a part of the crowd. And all seems good when we too are doing it and bad if we don’t do it! Applies to me as well. 😉

      Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

  33. Vinay sir,
    No words. This is an epic pic and the video at the end was hilarious.
    I am not a selfie person at all (that’s what I registered at the poll too) because I am simply not photogenic.

    I think taking selfies at some times is good but an excess leads to disaster. As a coincidence I came through a Facebook update yesterday where a man (sick as I think) took a selfie alongside his dad’s corpse with a caption about the happening.

    You really have created a resource for future referrers of selfies in blog posts.Too detailed and a delight to read. have a great week ahead sir 🙂

    1. Hi Swadhin,

      That’s the thing about selfies that even the non-photogenic people can make themselves appear as photogenic and pretty! This is one reason most teens get hooked on to it.

      You’re right that just like anything else, taking selfies too is okay in moderation and tends to get risky and harmful in excess. Yes, people like to be in the news, be the talk of the day, get likes and comments, and selfie-live-reporting are the best medium to achieve that! One more thing is that the selfies addicts also develop emotional insensitivity.

      Glad you like the post and find it helpful. Thanks for visiting and commenting and have a wonderful week too.

  34. Hello Vinay,

    Wow!!! So taking selfie can be an addiction? Didn’t know about that, funny me 🙂

    Yes, I do take selfies but depending on my mood and place. If i am in a memory place, I take selfies or when i meet a friend i haven’t seen for long 😉 .

    I do post to my social page once in a while simply because it is good to update your profile so your customer can better trust you.

    Thanks for dropping such a wonderful post on a blessed week 🙂
    Have a blessed week both of you.

    1. Hi Babanature,

      Yes, selfie addiction is the latest in addictions and its spreading fast and deep! 🙂

      Occasional selfies are normal and taking them when we meet old friends or at old places etc. is perfectly okay. It’s the addiction that we are talking about here, which means excessive use that impairs your daily life and activities.

      Thanks for your visit and comment. You too have a great week ahead.

  35. I can see how it becomes addicting, especially in the younger generation. Thankfully when I was a child we didn’t have cellphones. 🙂

    Interesting post Vinay. Passing it along.

    1. Hi Brenda,

      You’re right, probably we do not view taking selfies just as the young generation does today because we never had the experience when we were young. It’s very difficult for them to avoid and not be part of the addictive selfie culture. The more they get into it, the more they start believing in it, and waste a better part of their life and time.

      Thanks for your comment and views and for sharing this post.

  36. Hello Vinay,

    I enjoyed the last bit of advice that was given. You can take the best kind of selfie of your life, the selfie of the inner self through meditation. Unfortunately, many selfie takers never question “why” it is that they take selfies beyond the fact that it provides instant gratification. This is an excellent article to ponder as most of the time I go out there are friends or others taking selfies. If only cultural ideas that were popularized advocated methods for improving one’s inner beauty rather then flaunting the outer. Perhaps people in this world would feel secure in a deeper unity with others and not need to desperately re-affirm their exist by seeking recognition for others. Anyway, much love to all and thanks for the post.

    1. Hi Holden,

      Yes, I believe the inner self is the best and the real selfie but then that is what most people try to avoid or avoid taking all the trouble. As you mentioned, people look for instant gratification and want to focus on their external appearance more than anything else.

      You’re right that most selfie addicts don’t even think of the reasons, they are so absorbed and indulged that they aren’t really much in control of themselves in this aspect.

      Materialism and spiritualism has always been at loggerheads and there will always be difference of opinion over the preference for and importance of inner beauty and external appearance. I completely agree with you that understanding and syncing ourselves from a deeper level will create peaceful and stronger unity that will make it insignificant to seek validation.

      Glad you like the post and thanks for your valuable input. Hope to you see around!

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