Selfies are everywhere. You can’t leave your house or turn on the television without seeing at least one, so what is it about this seemingly new word that makes people go crazy? A selfie is simply defined as an image of oneself shared through social media. Selfies have become popular over the last decade, however, there seems to be a transition in the way selfies are used.
While initially people seemed to use selfies as a way of just showing themselves, there is a new emphasis on making a certain style an everyday thing. Women have been criticized for their lack of selfie-awareness and vulgarity while men have been deemed “selfies-challenged.” All this criticism raises the question: Is it really all that bad to take a picture of yourself?
The Origin of the Word Selfie and Why it Means Something Very Different Now
What is a selfie? Most people will tell you that a selfie is simply taking a picture of oneself. According to the Oxford Dictionary, however, this definition seems fairly insufficient. The term “selfie” can be traced to 2002 when it was used in an Australian online forum. It wasn’t until 2004 when the term “selfy” began to surface and became widely known throughout popular social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter.
The birth of the word ‘selfie’ can be accredited to one man – Wayne Front. After initially posting ‘selfies’ on an online forum, he quickly coined this term as “a new word for a very old thing”.
This is where the debate begins. A selfie is simply defined as taking a picture of oneself and sharing it with others, but there has been controversy surrounding whether or not selfies promotes narcissism or self-obsession.
History and Evolution of the Word Selfie
Taking pictures of oneself has been around as long as cameras have. Cameras first emerged in the early 19th century and were used as a way to capture memories and tell stories.
The first camera was invented by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, who combined bitumen and oil with pixilation to create the first photograph in 1826. It was not until the 20th century, however, when cameras became more accessible and were used by everyday people for personal use.
In 1888 George Eastman patented the first Kodak camera which revolutionized photography. This new technology allowed anyone to take pictures without any special training or skills needed. In 1900 Kodak began selling their first camera with a built-in film roll and by 1902 the demand for pictures increased dramatically.
Before this technological advancement, pictures were produced using a negative process that required people to take all their pictures to a professional photographer. This new easy way of taking selfies allowed everyone to have access to this technology. In today’s society, cameras are seen as a way of expressing yourself and telling your story. Although pictures can be taken on cell phones, digital cameras are still the most popular way to take selfies with an estimate of over one billion pictures taken annually.
Technology has played a large role in what selfies look like now compared to the past. The first selfie stick was introduced in 2005 by Japanese telecommunications company Fujifilm. They were originally made for the sole purpose of shooting selfies from a distance and have been crucial in keeping people from being in the picture.
What Does Selfie Mean in Texting?
Even though selfies can be traced as far back as 1839, the word selfie has only been around for nine years.
Selfie is now primarily used as a way of describing self-portrait pictures that are usually taken with a phone and shared over social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Here’s an example: “Hey this is me outside Starbucks, isn’t my new haircut great?”
Selfies are typically used to document daily life. The word has become associated with self-portraits that are tweeted, posted on Instagram, or texted to friends in order to share moments of your life in real time.
Conclusion
The definition of selfie has evolved over time, starting as an Australian slang word. The first official use of the term “selfie” came in 2002 when it was used on an online forum. Today, however, it is normal to see teenagers taking selfies with their phones and sharing them through social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.