When my cousin asked me, as I am an IT girl ☺, what is a selfie photo? I could quickly answer that a selfie photo is a self-portrait photo, but a selfie photo can include other people apart from ourselves Isn’t it? Do you remember Ellen DeGeneres’ selfie photo at the Oscars 2014? It was characterized as one of the best selfie photos in 2014, many celebrities posed in this photo: Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, Brad Pitt, etc. The selfie is the photo that includes the person, who is taking the photo, I replied to her.
She looked at me O.K. is that new? she said without expecting an answer. I believe that this term is a bit silly, she said and gently waved her head. We have taken self-portrait photos before the invention of smartphones or even digital cameras.
I couldn’t disagree with her.
I started wondering about selfie photos. Why all this fuss about them?
It is true that with the help of smartphones and social media it is very easy to take a photo of yourself and almost simultaneously uploaded it to social media platforms. Celebrities make this trend more popular because now they can control their image, by providing their own selfie photos to the public.
However, the selfie photo is over 100 years old as Russian Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna [1] at the age of 13 was one of the first teenagers who took a selfie photo by using a mirror to send to a friend in 1914. In the letter that accompanied the photograph, she wrote, “I took this picture of myself looking at the mirror. It was very hard as my hands were trembling”.
Do -accidentally- we make “Self – portraits photos” one of the most popular trends?
The first usage of the word selfie recorded in 2002. Nathan Hope [2] wrote in an Australian Internet forum (ABC Online) on 13 September 2002 “Um, drunk at a mates 21st, I tripped over and landed lip first (with front teeth coming a very close second) on a set of steps. I had a hole about 1 cm long right through my bottom lip. And sorry about the focus, it was a selfie.”
Recently I went to the computer store and I saw so much new stuff, that could help us to take “the best selfie photos”. When I made a quick search of the term “selfie” in technology, culture, and communication store, thirty results came up on my screen.
“Self Portraits” obtain their own term and products. Selfie changes and develops a new identity in the consumers’ minds for old «Self Portraits» photos. This is accidental rebranding as no specific company takes advantage of this term to increase its profit.
Rebranding is a way to change people’s attitudes on things. We have many “stereotypes”, we take them for granted, and we accept things without thinking or wondering why. Mr. Economidis [3] said the second most popular world in Greece is “δεν γινεται”. The rebranding of Greece can take place by deleting the word ” δεν” because the People who build the Parthenon monument definitely didn’t say, “δεν γινεται” (=”den ginetai” – It is not possible).
Γινεται… It is possible…
we have just to think about our next selfie…
1*Anastasia Nikolaevna Historian selfie
2* Nathan Hope Selfie term
3* Peter Economides is a brand strategist with a global perspective has worked on brands and companies such as Pepsi-Cola, Avis, L’Oréal, etc. He is behind the “think different” of Apple
March 13, 2015 at 1:39 pm
Maria mou, this is so educational, as Katina said. You sparked off a topic really worth exploring. Congrats. Greetings from Italy!
March 17, 2015 at 5:17 am
This one came up accidentally when my cousin ask me about selfie photos, I realized how things change in our minds over time without realizing… Thank you
March 11, 2015 at 6:02 am
Maria, I enjoyed reading your post, and it got me thinking too about having to take a better selfie to present the best side of ourselves to the world.
For instance,it is interesting to me to see the choices people and institutions make on social media–well, for me that means basically Twitter 😉 –and I think it is important to make a good choice and also one that reflects what you are all about.
March 12, 2015 at 8:50 am
Thank you Annina, Yes I agree with you that the social media reflects our-self. We must avoid being what others may impose on us – as Keri mentioned – in order to make good choices – as you said – for us and people “around us”. This is the way to “take the best selfie” of our life and present it to the world. Isn’t it?
March 10, 2015 at 8:44 am
Wonderful post, Maria mou! You brought so much into the selfie idea that the post became educational and inspirational!
I took my first mirror photograph 40 years ago, many times since then. I was surprised about Anastasia Nikolievna. Did not know. The positive mentality is part of me and has saved me from many negative emotions. I love how you re-branded “δεν γινεται” 2 “γινεται”. So easy to change attitudes if we want to. That’s a running thread in my “Sailing to Ithaca.”
Warmest Regards
Katina
March 12, 2015 at 8:25 am
Thank you so much Katina, yes exactly, When my cousin told me what is nw on this as we used to take selfies in the past. I realized how successful is the selfie rebranding. Sometimes It is easy to change people’s attitude and and when it happens without realizing it, it is a “successful” change. Isn’t it?
March 10, 2015 at 4:36 am
Maria,
Brilliant insights! Never considered this as an option … that a selfie can be a rebranding. We, as individuals, have the opportunity to create and live our own identity and purpose – that then translates to nations. As a nation, collectively, we do not have to be what others may impose on us – but that we can live our own destiny and purpose. Brilliant.
Thank you for sharing!
Keri
March 12, 2015 at 8:20 am
Thank you Keri, Selfie is a great example to see how people’s attitude changes about something without, usually, realizing it. I totally agree with you. “We do not have to be what others may impose on us” I believe that this is the only way to find the best pose and take a nice selfie of our-self :).