Read the selections and choose the best answer to each question.

Passage 1: The Selfie

1 Selfies have become one of the most popular forms of photography in the country. Most
of us, if not all of us, have taken one, seen one, or been in one. It’s even in the
dictionary. “Selfie: an image of oneself taken by oneself using a digital camera,
especially for posting on social networks.” Even with its immense popularity, do
Americans know how it all came about?

2 What comes to mind when you hear the word selfie? Well, if you were asked this
question before the 2000s your answer may have been very different. The word selfie first
came about around 2002 when it first appeared on an Australian Internet forum. Over
the past decade, selfies quickly became part of popular culture.

3 The word selfie has been around for the past decade and not an entirely new concept.
People have been taking pictures of themselves for as long as cameras have been
around. But, the idea of the present-day selfie came about with the beginning of social
media on the Internet. Back in 2005 to 2008 selfies started to show up on MySpace.
Facebook followed in 2009, adding better quality photos and the concept of the
popular selfie was born. However, they began to drastically grow in popularity when, in
2010, Apple came out with the iPhone 4’s front-facing camera. With time came the
invention of the “selfie stick.” Technology made selfies easier than ever to take and post
on social media like Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Finally, in 2013, the
word selfie was officially added to the Oxford Dictionary, forever placing it as part of
modern society.

4 Now in 2015, the popularity of selfies continues to grow among people of all ages and
backgrounds. From teenagers to celebrities, selfies are seen all across the country. This
old concept, but new form of the popular photograph, continues to spread across the
country and reach all corners of the world.

This text was written by The Small Classroom. The image is in the public domain.

Created by The Small Classroom Copyright © 2020

 Passage 2: Quote from
What Do #Selfies Say About The Psychology Of You?
By Anne Steele

What It Really Says About You

5 “Social media sites were created to help people connect with each other, and many
people use this excuse as the reasoning behind posting selfies of everything from the
new pair of shoes they have purchased to their graduation photos. Why not share these
events; after all, this is what social media is for, is it not? The same cannot be said for bad
photos, however, since most people will admit that they would never share photos that
make them look less than perfect. In fact, if many people had their way, they would
hand pick every single picture that was posted to social media sites.

6 What does this say about what they are trying to achieve with their selfies, and
ultimately, their real intentions? It quickly becomes clear that one thing many people are
looking for via their selfies is a boost to their self esteem. From a psychological
perspective, it quickly becomes clear that individuals are looking for an avenue to fulfill
this need and they have found it on their social media page. Every like, share and
positive comment is a boost to their confidence, and this works to fuel the desire for
more selfies.”

Excerpt from What Do #Selfies Say About The Psychology Of You? by Anne Steele.
http://mastersinpsychologyguide.com/articles/what-do-selfies-say-about-psychology-you
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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1. Select two reasons why selfies became popular based on concepts from Passage 1.

A Australian influence.
B Peoples need to document their lives on social media.
C The love of photography.
D American youth and their interest in the latest technology.
E It became much easier to take a selfie due to advances in technology.
F Celebrities are the only reason selfies became so popular.

Created by The Small Classroom Copyright © 2020