I can’t actually say the word “selfie” without giggling. There’s
something about it that inclines me to put on even more of a Made in Chelsea
accent than I already, unfortunately, have. I’ve never really been one for
selfies.
The whole concept seems so vain. The wide eyed, slightly drugged looking, duck faces that are so bleached by “natural” lighting I start wondering if I’m the only person with a nose, unfailingly appear on my newsfeed at the rate of at least one per day (this is a dramatic improvement from when we were 15 and it was at least one per hour).
The whole concept seems so vain. The wide eyed, slightly drugged looking, duck faces that are so bleached by “natural” lighting I start wondering if I’m the only person with a nose, unfailingly appear on my newsfeed at the rate of at least one per day (this is a dramatic improvement from when we were 15 and it was at least one per hour).
Drunkenly, I’ll admit to having taken my fair few, but I’ve always managed to
convince myself it doesn’t count as a proper selfie if I’m pulling a face so
vile even my relatives can’t recognise me. Cancer Research’s no-make-up-selfie
campaign has got a lot of people talking about our selfie culture. Is it just
mindless vanity? Does it combat insecurity and persuade people that they do
have friends and are attractive or cause people to worry even more about
aspects of their appearance they’re self-conscious of (why did this basically
identical picture only get 19 likes and so-and-so got 54?).
Beyonce. Photo credit: Vibevixen.com
Then again, blogger Nell Frizzell recently argued that the
Selfie encouraged her to do more outrageous things. She went running,
rock-climbing, travelling all so she could show people what an amazing life she
was having and how she was totally over her Ex. Eventually, she convinced
herself that she was happy. I can see her point and if I’d just climbed to the
top of Kilamanjaro, and it was a choice between a selfie or no photo (because
there’s no other half to take the picture), I’d probably choose a selfie.
We’d all be lying if we said we’d never looked forward to telling
everyone about what we’ve been doing. Sharing experiences is part of the joy of
having them. In my family after every holiday there is a scheduled
photo-sharing session with tea, cake and the compulsory “ahhing” of relatives,
but even in this there is the assumption that people want to know.
I’ve done a little survey of my friends, and it seems that
most people are curious as to what family, friends, acquaintances (people you
assume you met in fresher’s week / the loos in Arena) are doing. The kind of selfie Nell Frizzell is talking about is not one that I would class
as annoying. Slightly vain, yes, but it appears justifiably so.
photocredit: popsugar.com
What I really don’t like is how everyone tries to look the
same. They pull the same emotionless expression - long, tousled hair, carefully
shaded eyebrows, a “dewey” complexion courtesy of the latest BB cream and, of
course, the obligatory black eyeliner. Where’s your individuality people, I
mean come on! At least give us a genuine smile instead of looking all
awkward.
But however much I dislike the concept of a “selfie”, the
no-make-up selfie campaign is not one that I’m going to be criticising.
Anything that raises £8 million for such a deserving cause wins my approval and
respect. However, it saddens me that pleeing to people’s vanity and desire to
show a good face to the social media world is now the best fundraising method.
If a note had been posted through the letter box asking you to donate £3 to
Cancer Research, how many people would actually have done it?
As that well known philosopher, Joey Tribbiani, once said
“there is no such thing as a selfless good deed” (Friends: Season 5, Episode 4). This campaign has
never been just about donating charity, it’s also about baring your face to the
world and being declared a “natural beauty”. I’ve seen some photos where the
selfie taker has obviously not caught on that it’s for charity but assumed it’s
another, slightly different branch, of the nek-nominate trend; something that
has to be done in honour rather than for any particular purpose.
Also, what is with this gender divide? I’ve seen a lot of
guys be nominated for a make-up selfie so far only one posted.
I suppose what I’m really annoyed about by the selfie
culture is the assumption that wearing make-up is a female necessity; that
being nose-less is desirable and that experiences that are not shared on social
media are somehow less important. I’m glad that the no-make-up selfie has caused
a pause in the endless stream of photos taken for self-gratification, but it
would be naïve to think that it will stop them. It’s not wrong to want to share our
experiences with our friends or even to ask for a bit sympathy and attention but
I hope that people will start to think of better ways to spend their time than
working out the precise setting on instagram that makes their eyes stand out.
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