Reasoning Behind Selfie

The Logical Reasoning Behind the Selfie “Selfies are not all about seeking external validation” (Rutledge). Selfies are generally understood as a form of self-portraiture in which the photographer is also the main subject or, one of, the photograph. Selfies have become a more prominent trend since “[…] appear[ing] on the photo-sharing site Flickr and on MySpace back in 2004” (Rutledge). However, desire for self-portraiture has existed since first commissioned in Ancient Egypt, self-painted since the invention of the mirror, and now simplified and cost-free with digital camera devices (Rutledge). As a result, the now widespread selfie has created a negative stigma that nearly makes them synonymous with narcissism, though such immediate reasoning

It is foolish to immediately accept that the reasoning for a posted selfie is simply one’s arrogant display of their huge ego. The selfie viewer should ask themselves, as a human being, do they “[…] want to be valued, appreciated, and included in the groups that matter to [them]” (Rutledge)? Though these are quite basic humanistic desires, many dismiss any of these possibilities as a reason for why an individual could be posting a selfie. In Emily Cook’s view, “generally, especially with Instagram, there’s a real feel-good attitude towards selfies, and as vain as it may be, you know that if you’re not feeling great, there’s someone who will ‘like’ your photo and tell you you’re pretty” (BBC). In other words, Cook feels selfies evoke confidence. This innate desire for approval is also shown through a 100,000 person, decade long study. According to the O.C. Tanner Institute and Healthstream throughout the U.S. and Canada, “[…] 79% of employees who quit their jobs cite a lack of appreciation as a key reason for leaving” (Sturt and Nordstrom). Through this shocking point made by Sturt and Nordstrom, one can see how crucial the human desire to be appreciated is. Though one may question the selfie’s approach to approval, methods in which a person may gain confidence compared to others nontraditional but harmless ways shouldn’t

People can become quite envious and concerned looking through idealized photographs of the ‘perfect’ woman or man. As a result, the viewer could be deceived simply by the massive effect lighting, makeup, and sometimes the use of Photoshop has on a photo. These highly glamorized photos have been criticized “[…] sometimes through humor as in Reddit’s “Pretty Girls Ugly Faces” meme, in which users upload photos of themselves with disgusting faces next to the conventional shot” (Rutledge). To put it another way, those users are mocking the ‘perfect’ selfies and in turn appeasing their concerns of their own physical image. For instance, one user explained “that the ugly selfie challenges her own vanity and puts her personality back into the self-documentation” (Rutledge). Not only do selfies give an individual a perspective on their physical self, selfies can give way to one’s identity. Through taking a selfie one can “[…] show facets of [themselves], such as the artsy side, the silly side, or the glamorous side” (Rutledge). As a result, the selfie taker can reflect on what makes them unique while giving others a glimpse of