A selfie is a self-portrait photograph, typically taken with a smartphone which may be held in the hand or supported by a selfie stick (at arm's length). Selfies are often shared on Facebook, and are casual in nature.
Check your smartphone right now. Chances are, you snapped lots of pictures until you got just the right one. Taking the perfect selfie isn't easy. It's about the right combination of light, angle, and setting. Maybe you thought you were an expert on selfies. The facts below may be some selfie information you were clueless about:
1.
It's a young person's sport: As
one might expect, selfies are especially favored by the younger generation. The
average age of
selfie-takers
is 23.6. This average may soon take a decline as preteens are gaining momentum,
snapping more digital self-portraits every year.
2.
It's been the word of the year: In
2013, "selfie" was named The Oxford English Dictionary's Word of the Year. Most years, there
will be some disagreement or debate over which word should receive the honor,
but in 2013, 'selfie' was chosen almost unanimously and
expected
from the start. And how could they not choose it? Selfie's usage in the English
language had increased by 17,000 percent that year alone.
3.
Some cities take more selfies than others: Though
selfies are a global phenomenon, it turns out that some cities produce more
than others. Time investigated the
geography of selfie-snapping by building a database of more than 400,000
digital self-portraits with the caption, "#selfie."
They then mapped out the photos' geographic
coordinates and managed to rank 459 cities based on the number of selfies they
generated. The study concluded that Makati City in the Philippines is the
'Selfie Capital of the World,' followed closely by Manhattan and Miami.
4.
They aren't always welcome: There
has been a growing ban on selfie-taking, specifically when using selfie-sticks
as tools. Disneyland's Paris, Hong Kong, and American theme parks have
forbidden the use of selfie sticks on their premises.
The Palace Museum in
Beijing and the Sistine Chapel in Italy have done the same. Even festivals like
Lollapalooza in Chicago and Coachella in California have called for a halt. It
looks like visitors will have to document their fun the old fashioned way: by
extending their arms. These genius tips can help you snap better photos
with your smartphone with
no selfie stick
required.
5.
They aren't always what they seem: The
purpose of a self-portrait is to reflect your true self in a moment worth
capturing. Sadly, it seems online selfies, more often than not don't actually
portray reality. According to a recent survey, 68 percent of selfie-takers admitted
to editing their photos before sharing online.
This number is up
from 48 percent of people who admitted to doctoring their selfies in 2014. This
suggest that the pressure to appear perfect has only increased.
6.
They can be a red flag: Psychologists
believe that taking selfies can become a dangerous addiction. More often than
not, those addicted to taking and posting selfies are suffering from body
dysmorphia disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, or depression, all of which
can significantly interfere with your daily functioning.
Selfie-addiction is a
"mental health issue with an extremely high suicide rate." Seek help
if you feel yourself needing to snap selfies compulsively.
7.
They can make great book material: If
you've been suffering with writer's block, perhaps you should follow Kim
Kardashian's example and just fill your novel with selfies. In May of 2015,
Kardashian published a book called Selfish,
which is 448 pages long and comprised entirely of her favorite selfies. Sound
absurd? Apparently it was not because Selfish
quickly became a New York
Times bestseller.
8.
They date back to the 16th century: You
might think selfies started with smart phones, but they have a much longer
history. The first-ever selfie was painted in 1524
using oil on wood. In "Self-portrait in a Convex Mirror," 21-year-old
artist Parmigianino depicted his own reflection. This young artist had no idea
he was 500 years ahead of a booming trend.
9.
They weren't always easy to take: The
first photographic selfie as we know it today was taken by Robert Cornelius in
1839. Unfortunately, it wasn't as easy as tapping his thumb on an iPhone's
front-facing lens. Cornelius had to set up the camera on a stand, remove the
lens cap, run into the frame, sit for five minutes, then sprint back and
replace the cap. In this exhausting process, he took what is believed to be the first
photographic self-portrait.
10.
They're a window into your personality: It
turns out that your favorite selfie pose can say a lot about your personality.
In a study published in Computers in Human
Behavior,
researchers connected self-portrait styles to specific character traits. For
example, conscientious people tend to hide the location of their selfies. They
show that they're concerned with maintaining privacy. Those who appear positive
and look directly into the camera tend to be more agreeable.
11.
They're all about the hashtag: As
selfies have grown in popularity over the last few years, the corresponding
hashtag has remained their official label and link. According to Instagram, the
first ever photo captioned with "#selfie" was uploaded by a Jennifer
Lee on January 16, 2011. Since then, Instagram has had over 227 million self-portraits
posted with the same hashtag—and that number grows by the minute.
12.
They're not only taken here on Earth: Everyone
loves an exotic selfie, including NASA's astronauts. Believe it or not,
multiple selfies have been taken in outer space. Buzz Aldrin proudly took the first space selfie during the Gemini 12
mission in 1966. That's one small step for man, one giant step for
self-portraits.
13.
They're not the majority: Although
selfies may seem to be every other picture you encounter online, they aren't
the majority of all photos taken. In fact, people take selfies far less than we
assume. Only 4 percent of all
images
are actually selfies (depending on the city). The other 96 percent of photos
feature monuments, food, pets, shoes, friends, family, and more.
14.
Women take more than men: In
every city analyzed, women take more
cities than men, but the differences greatly vary by area. In Bangkok, women
take 55.2 percent of all selfies, which isn't that much more than men. In New
York, however, women take 61.6 percent of selfie snaps, which is considerable.
Moscow, by contrast, has the greatest
disparity, with women taking a whopping 82 percent of all selfies! It seems
Russian men simply aren't that interested in documenting their own reflection.
“Taking a picture of
your reflection in the bathroom mirror doesn’t make you look cute…It makes you
look like you have no friends.” (Somee
Cards)[i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“14 Mind-Blowing Facts about Selfies” by Aubrey Almanza
·
“How To
Take A Good Selfie: 12 Selfie Tips to Consider” by Stephanie
Saltzman
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