She steps down hurriedly from the stairs of her hostel. Late for lectures, she manages to tuck her 8-in-1 notebook inside her Caribbean bag. Instincts tell her she is going to have a test…those impromptu tests and these lecturers “gan-an self”. She brings out her smart phone to check how late she really is but sub-consciously does something entirely different…one hand on her waist, shoulders high, head bent to one side…*camera flash *click *click…and there it goes; another selfie…!
A selfie is a type of self-portrait photograph, typically taken with a hand-held digital camera or camera phone and popular with the social media. Whatever it is about the selfie, it looks like it has come to stay with the digital natives and the social netgens, moreso since the Oxford Dictionaries has picked it as the word of the year 2013. Research reveals that majority of social media users have posted one selfie ever. I’m sure you are not one of them…or are you? (I can see that little curved smile that appeared on one corner of your mouth…*caught red-handed…hehehe).
Perhaps, one appealing thing about the selfie is that you may need only a mirror or nothing but yourself to snap all the pictures you want, without that disgruntled grumble from friends who are too busy to do the honours, or that caution biting from within over the danger of appearing like a self conceited, shallow-minded individual who likes snapping too many pictures.
Well, what can we say….do selfies actually determine how unserious or proud we are? Hmnn…I think most selfies are usually not so perfect, especially for the beginners (the first time you take a selfie, you probably run out of focus). The next time, you probably look stupid and then, the next time, you make a funny face and don’t mind that the photo looks a little not like the usual you. Someone once said it is like saying “I know I look stupid. But I choose to, and I’m beating you to the judgment punch”. I concur. It is called self-confidence.
Now, I think selfies should not take the place of professional photography (I once attended a function where one of the celebrants took selfies of himself and his family and did not get a photographer…!) We won’t forget to mention the addicts who will take selfies everyday of this year and everywhere they find themselves, even on a busy road. Nay, not a good way to go…you just might find your “selfie” in a gutter or something…*never said anything… !
By the way, my computer is still underlining “selfie” in red…it is one of the signs that the system is old (what can we do?). It definitely is one of those words I have to “add to dictionary”, or better still…a new system with a updated dictionary this year will not be a bad idea…at all, at all…*smiles.
Never forget, a picture is worth a thousand words but a selfie is worth a thousand likes. Cheers to a fulfilling 2014!
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