DIY Photography

Your one stop shop for everything photo-video

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

Selfiology: the Story of the Selfie

Jul 20, 2015 by Curious Platypus 3 Comments

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

selfiology-01

More than once I have succumbed to the pressure to be in one and together with me, only few have been able to escape the phenomenon of the selfie. 

Selfies seem to have become just another part of life. Over time the wonderment about people striking the strangest of poses in front of their telephones has vanished. Younger generations will even find themselves in selfies that exceed their memory. We have simply learned to see upon the selfie as a part of modern day society and the debate surrounding it slowly fades away.

Maybe we were a bit behind, but only last fall, when we were in Rome it struck us how immensely popular the selfie has become. In front of that painting you really love, together with the people you befriended during your holiday, in front of that monument you have read about all your life and basically anywhere else the first thing to do seemed to be taking a selfie. Commerce picked it up before we did and there was not a street vendor to find that didn’t sell the infamous selfie-stick.

It all seems fair enough. You experience a moment of joy, wonder or happiness and something inside urges you to capture that moment. You simply want to lay hold of the magic of a moment so that you can return to that magic after it has disappeared. Not everyone thinks as lightly about it as that. The criticasters of the selfie-culture hold an entirely different view. To them the selfie is the narcissist expression of a self-absorbed society that revels in its smugness.

selfiology-11

Selfie at the Vatican

Selfie at the Vatican

Although the criticasters might exaggerate things a bit, their ideas are not entirely senseless. The abilities of man, both intellectually and technologically, are bigger than ever before in history and what do we do with it? Right, we make phones, cameras and sticks that help us portray ourselves as cool as possible. What does it say when the best of society’s capabilities are mobilized for such a purpose?

When future archaeologists ever solve the puzzle of all those people that once stared in the lenses of their phones, they might conclude that every selfie tells a bigger story than it intended to tell. They might come to see upon the selfie as one of the most characteristic expressions of our postmodern society. It might be the story of a society that has abandoned the religion and great ideologies of their ancestors. The story of a society that has ceased to dream dreams that can raise the individual above itself. A society that has left the individual nothing but itself.

selfiology-19

In front of Roden's "Thinker"

In front of Roden’s “Thinker”

When the individual is all that remains, it is inevitable that self-centerdness gets a hold on society in at least some degree. With all the selfies we managed to capture, we therefore might have captured a glimpse of the spirit of our time along with them. It is the story of a time in which the camera no longer grants us a view on the world, but grants the world a view on ourselves. A time in which the world left the center stage to the great story of the Self in which she now humbly serves as a décor.

selfiology-23

selfiology-22

selfiology-21

selfiology-18

selfiology-17

selfiology-16

selfiology-15

selfiology-12

selfiology-10

selfiology-08

About the Author

The Curious Platypus is a bit of a peculiar team comprised of friends Elze Markunaite and Adriaan Hoogduijn.  Half Dutch, half Lithuanian. Half thinking in words, half thinking in images. Half male, half female.  Completely ready to explore the world.  Follow their curious adventures on their blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

Up your selfie game with the ultimate automated selfie stick featuring beauty light, hair fans, and more You Don’t Need A Selfie Stick To Take A Selfie In Space India proclaims “no-selfie zones” to reduce selfie-related deaths at tourist spots Vivo V21 targets selfie-shooters and vloggers with optically stabilised 44-megapixel selfie camera

Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With: Adriaan Hoogduijn, Curious Platypus, Elze Markunaite, humor, psychology, selfie, Selfie Stick

Guest Author: from diyphotography.net

About Guest Author

We love it when our readers get in touch with us to share their stories. This article was contributed to DIYP by a member of our community. If you would like to contribute an article, please contact us here.

« Quick Tip: Use Pill Cases To Store 9V Batteries
Reclaim Australia Protests Shown From A “War Photographer” Perpespective »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Learn photography

Recent Posts

  • Adobe ordered to pay more than $33 million for patent infringement
  • Hands on with the Kelvin Epos 600 RGBLAC light
  • Hands on with the Godox MG2400Bi LED beast
  • Hands on with the Saramonic WiTalk
  • Another tourist falls off a cliff while taking a selfie

Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.netUdi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

Alex Baker: from diyphotography.netAlex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

David Williams: from diyphotography.netDave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred: from diyphotography.netJohn Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.netDunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy