For Self or a Selfie?

The Oxford English Dictionary's Word of the Year for 2013 was 'selfie’. No points for guessing why.

Carol had a unique hobby. She liked capturing different images of the sky.  While she was on a solo road trip, she decided to click one such photograph.  However this one turned out to be a selfie.  Little did she know that a small adventure awaited her.  As she was clicking her photograph with the sky as the backdrop, two men stopped by on a bike, one jumped into Carol’s car and both of them sped away.  It all happened in a fraction of a second!

Carol used her presence of mind and checked her picture.  She had actually captured the two crooks in her selfie!  Tracking the men wasn’t tough and she got back her car- A classic example of how a selfie can save us!

But all is not lways well with a selfie.  Just like there are two sides of the same coin, a selfie too has a good and bad side attached to it.

Just a few years back before setting out on a trip one would ensure that the camera has been packed.  These days it's the selfie stick that has replaced any accessory.  Gone are those days when we visited countries and places to admire the art and culture.  Today the minute people plan their itinerary, they start dreaming about which angle to click a selfie in front of a particular monument.  Calculating and for seeing the number of likes it can get on Facebook and Instagram follow suit.

Doesn't it occur to us as to why we travel and visit places?  For one's own self or selfie? Or is it a self- lie?

Often we come across people who visit places and simply forget to live the moment.  The main focus is whether their Prada jacket or Jimmy Choo shoes is being highlighted.  The angle in which the duck pout is being captured also matters.  And if none of it comes out well, they wouldn't even mind missing the train to the next city. All in the name of clicking the millionth selfie.  Not to forget the gym going macho who doesn’t start his workout without uploading a selfie.

Many may claim that it has a positive impact by giving a boost to one’s self-esteem.  While this maybe partly true, a major reason would be to get assurance from others.  Often people have trouble accepting the fact that they are photogenic.  Such people resort to clicking a picture themselves and posting it on social media.

If this is the case then a few likes and comments will be enough to make the world a better place to live in.  These likes will be enough to resolve arguments and wars.  On the contrary these pictures generate more negative thoughts in the minds of the viewers. 

A day should be declared as the No- Facebook or No- Instagram day where people are made to refrain from posting selfies and instead indulge in self- less activities like volunteering in old age homes or orphanages.  It will be amazing to see the self-esteem quotient of the same people shooting up to an appalling level. The satisfaction they may derive will be unmatched.

Yours Truly's various attempts at posing

The question is in today's world where the major chunk of our time goes in skimming through Facebook, scrolling through Instagram pics and replying to group messages on Whatsapp, do we have time to dedicate ourselves to things that make real sense?.  It is a thought to stop and ponder about.