Selfie - Vanity or Fad?

   The first time I watched film slide out of my Dad's Polaroid camera, I was intrigued. In only five "short" minutes, our image would appear! No more trips to have the film developed! We had arrived!
   Thanks to the incredible advancements in technology, we can take our picture and see it all in an instant. After all, who has five minutes to sit around and wait for an image to appear on an archaic piece of film? The digital revolution has turned everyone with access to a digital camera or smart phone into a photographer who is an expert in the art of "the selfie". No more wasting film trying for that perfect shot. Out of 50 pictures you take with your smart phone, you might just find one you like. Of course, then comes the editing, adding filters and such. We have to look good, right?

   I will not lie, I've taken a few selfies and a few selfies with several people in the shot. Not really a selfie, is it?  You cannot get on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram without seeing a selfie or two or twenty per day. They are taken everywhere imaginable! The car, the store, the office, school, the school bathroom, your bathroom, a restaurant, a restaurant bathroom, and everywhere in between. The bathroom selfie seems to be quite popular among the younger generation. It will be interesting to see what they think of these pictures in twenty years. The bathroom has never really been a place I want to hang out and take pictures, but then again maybe I'm just not "hip" into their trends.
   Selfies fall into several unique categories.
   The mouth wide open tongue hanging out of your mouth selfie is top on that list. I'm not really a fan of looking in people's mouths or I would have been a dentist. Maybe it is a tribute to the rock star deep inside someone that never had a chance to come out that causes this type of selfie. This one has seemed to overtake the infamous "duck face" selfie. To each his own, I say!
   Then there is the driving down the road selfie. I'm thinking this one is a tad on the dangerous side. Driving and texting is dangerous enough, but doing a self photo shoot going 75 miles an hour down the road is a little frightening. I guess when the selfie mood hits, it hits and you just have to answer.
   I could not talk about these types of pictures without mentioning the "halfie selfie". These are so you don't miss out on a great landmark in the background by seeing a full face. Some are quite interesting!
   Finally, there is the hand gesture selfie. You know, the one where it looks like you are throwing gang signs, but they are not really gang signs selfie? Maybe they are selfie gang signs. Could be!
   No matter your take on selfies, I think we can all agree on one thing...we would have spent thousands of dollars in film trying to get that one "perfect" selfie we claim to be "first one...no filter". Plus, what would social media be without them?
   Click here to see a cheesy 80's hit! Maybe the J. Geils band was on to something!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHo43B6nu60
   Selfie - vanity or fad? You make the call! Say cheese!