Selfie culture is not a bad thing when you want to capture the amazing memories you’ve made in your life. However, if you often think about taking a selfie in serious situations, you should be critical and consider that your selfie addiction may be going too far.

The current trend of the selfie began when smartphones entered the market. Today, you can see an iPhone or an Android attached to almost everyone. Trust me, I am one of those people who is deeply influenced by selfie culture. I can’t wait to buy an iPhone 10 for its portrait feature, which allows you to capture your own image just like a professional camera would.

I love taking selfies, and I confess that I am quite addicted. I like to share the best moments of my life on Facebook and Instagram. Sometimes, I wonder if people think that I am bragging by posting my selfies on
social-networking sites. A lot of my friends mock me for publicizing too much, but I don’t care because I am sharing my happiness. The question is, should I care?

With the rise of the smartphone, selfies have become a part of everyday life.

Think about this — when we are sharing our happiness, another person on our friend list may be unhappy because of unfortunate events in their own life. For example, when we go to an expensive restaurant and post selfies with our delicious food, do we stop to think that someone viewing it might not be able to afford the same meal?

Selfie culture is in danger of becoming all-consuming — it prevents us from realizing that a lot of situations might not be suitable for documentation. I’ve seen people posting selfies from funerals or in cemeteries. This makes me frustrated because I realize that selfie addiction is taking away people’s sensitivity and rationality.

The selfie trend is also making people self-obsessed. People do their best to appear perfect, in a way that abides by ideal social standards. Women, myself included, may try to look skinny and pale, whereas men may try to look macho. In our selfies, we portray our lives like fairy tales — the epitome of perfection — full of joy, peace and happiness.

The reality is that we are not perfect — we don’t always look the way society wants us to look, and our lives are not always how we want them to be, but this does not reduce our worth to society. When we portray ourselves as perfect human beings, with fairy-tale lives, others may become more aware of what they lack.

Selfies are good because they allow us to share our feelings with others — but honestly, we should draw a line between selfie culture and reality. Often, I think that I shouldn’t broadcast my life too much, because after all, there is something called privacy. Also, we should be sensitive to other people’s feelings and life circumstances.

I am not saying you should stop taking selfies altogether, but be aware of the world around you, and always be critical of the possibility of selfie addiction. Moreover, if you want to take a selfie, be your real self. Show the world who you are — not who they want you to be. And, when you want to post a selfie on social media, ask yourself if the situation is appropriate.

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Bidushy Sadika

Photo: Riley Deacon

Original photo sourced from David J Slater, licensed under Caters News Agency Ltd