SUKRIT SHARMA

17210109
M.TECH (CIVIL)

THE SELFIE PROJECT

Meaning of the word Selfie according to Oxford Dictionary is as follows:

Selfie noun, informal. (also selfy; plural selfies) a photograph that one has taken of oneself,
typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website. [1]
With the advent of smartphones, accessibility to a camera has become almost redundant, for
clicking pictures and capturing moments through photographs. More importantly, the front
camera allows an easy way to click one’s own photograph. It allows flexibility to the person, as
to how to present themselves.
Taking a selfie on its own is not enough. According to the definition, it has to uploaded
somewhere on social media to be regarded as a selfie. This encourages a person to become more
visible among his/her social circles. It allows for instant feedback through comments and likes
on social media platform. The way people in one’s social circle respond to the selfie, provides a
sense of satisfaction. This feeling depends upon the rate at which one receives feedback (quicker
the better), amount of positive feedback and approval. Also, it is a medium to initiate
conversation among people over a moment captured in the selfie. This conversation is open
ended, with multiple interpretations of the same photograph. This engagement through social
media can help in developing bonds between people.
But presently, uploading a selfie on social media platforms, is generally used to gain validation
from others. This is achieved through an unwritten agreement of mutual appreciation and
validation. There might not be any regular conversation between people, but they have a tacit
understanding of appreciating each other’s posts. This is not helpful in the long term, as no real
effort is made to develop the relationship with people known on social media. [2]
Also, adolescents are most prone to get trapped in this cycle of appreciation and validation, as
they lack the maturity of understanding and analyzing its usefulness. Posts on social media may
give a narrow view of people, rather than their internal qualities. Adolescents may feel empty or
inadequate due to the feedback they receive through this medium. Subsequently, it affects the
shaping of their mindset, which may prove to be detrimental in the long term. [2]
In a study [3], it was found that one of the primary motivations for a girl joining Facebook is the
ability to share pictures on the platform. This also leads to the inference that girls do upload more
selfies than boys. This can be attributed to the fact that, she might have been subjected to
irrational judgments in her lifetime, which acts as a motivation to showcase her personality with
greater finesse on a public platform.
REFERENCES:
1. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/selfie
2. http://inbetweenyears.com/lets-take-selfie-first-lets-discuss-growing-selfie-world/
3. ‘Looking at’, ‘Looking up’ or ‘Keeping up with’ People? Motives and Uses of Facebook by
Adam N. Joinson. This was referred in https://www.quora.com/Why-do-women-take-so-many-
selfies