As with any new trend, the Internet has had strong opinions about the subject of selfies. Many people argue that they are conceited, the evidence of our self-centered generation. The word “selfies” even sounds like “selfish.” But these judgments are practically archaic.
Essentially, everything we publish for people to see or read is a bit vain. We’ve judged an article or video worth sharing, and it is a representation of ourselves. Selfies are also representations of ourselves, but people seem to be against them because they are based on physical appearance. However, both are forms of seeking approval.
From an early age, we are taught to strive for beauty and success but to hide our efforts and play down our accomplishments. If you walk into a kindergarten class, the children show off their artwork, outfits or a new song they learned. But once those children grow up and go to high school, they’ve learned that it is socially unacceptable to let others know you believe in yourself. Go into a high-school classroom, and students may hesitantly raise hands, answer questions with a question or deflect compliments.
When I give a friend a compliment, I want him or her to believe it and say “thank you” with pride. There is nothing wrong with being a little vain, and often, we have to fight for whatever self-pride we have. So I am happy to like friends’ selfies. They are showing they are strong enough to withstand the pressures of the media and society and accept themselves.
A selfie may also mean that the subject may only like themselves in that photo, at that angle and in that particular outfit. Maybe by taking a picture they like of themselves, they are gaining some self-acceptance, and I fully support that. Some people even post selfies as motivators to get in shape.
I think the backlash against selfies can be summed up by the idiotic song by the idiotic One Direction that says, “You don’t know you’re beautiful, and that’s what makes you beautiful.” Selfies corrupt the mystique that people don’t know they are beautiful because, by taking those photos, they are taking pride in their appearances. And for some reason, we like people to keep up this performance of trying to look good but acting like they don’t realize it, which is absurd.
Some people criticize selfies because they believe the people taking them think they are the center of the universe. I argue that’s like telling a child who hasn’t finished his or her dinner that people are starving in Africa. It is unrealistic to compare one’s personal situation to everything else that is going on in the world. If we were all constantly thinking about that, I don’t how many of us would still get out of bed each morning, nonetheless laugh and take a selfie break.
To selfies, I say hold your head up high. Or, if you prefer, down at a 45-degree angle, and make whatever face you want at the camera. I’ll like it.
Lauren Adamson is a UF journalism junior. Her columns appear on Tuesdays. A version of this column ran on page 7 on 1/21/2014 under the headline "Selfies: It’s OK to be vain"
