Is The World Becoming a Selfie Centered Society?

By Jason Price, Seattle, Washington

Look World – See How Cool I am!

If you are online and have access to the web, chances are you’ve done it. You’ve taken a picture of yourself and posted it to a social media site such as Instagram or Facebook. Or, you’ve simply sent it via text to a few friends. These photos typically range from the innocuous – at the park, with friends, at the beach, ballgame, etc.; to the ridiculous – in the bedroom, making a duck face in the bathroom mirror, or being photo bombed by some drunk in the background. Regardless of the subject matter the evidence is clear – we have become a Selfie-centered society.

Obama Selfie
Cartoon image from youtube video

The ‘Selfies’ Heard Round the World

If you live in the free world and watched the Oscars, chances are you have also seen Ellen’s infamous ‘selfie’ with a bunch of her movie star friends. It was yet another shameless (and highly successful) example of self-promotion for Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3. Many people have undoubtedly seen the Obama’s selfie with British Prime Minister David Cameron and Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt during Nelson Mandela’s funeral while a sober and socially conscious Michelle Obama looks on in disgust. What is with these people? Why on earth would you take a photo of yourself at a funeral? These are major leaders in the free world!? Jesus.

A Pandemic of Narcissism

Before the internet age we didn’t have the means to self-promote the way we do today. People picked up the phone to chat with friends, made dates to get together, and went to each other’s houses if they wanted to talk. There was much more in-person social contact B.I. (Before Internet). The advent of the web and the subsequent boom of social media started early on with AOL, then evolving into Myspace before progressing into Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Collectively, we’ve become obsessed with providing updates on our every move and thought. We have new tools and virtual toys to play with, which let us talk about ourselves in ways that didn’t exist 15 years ago. Our self-esteem is measured by how many Likes and Comments we get on our inane posts. We are disappointed when these numbers are low or when friends rank higher in the number of ‘friends’ they have. These statistics can lead to depression and lack of self-worth – the very counter effect that we desire.

So What?

What most people don’t get is this – nobody cares. Nobody cares that you are at the mall with friends. Nobody cares that you didn’t like when Herschel was killed on Walking Dead. Nobody cares that you just ate a great cheeseburger. Nobody but you that is. What is incredible about this pandemic is that people post messages on social media primarily to promote themselves. It’s for them, for their ego and to hopefully improve their social status. Yes, there are exceptions to this for example the use of Twitter to coordinate anti-government protests in countries like Egypt. But the majority of information sharing is done in the spirit of bragging and telling the world about your thoughts, actions and feelings – shamelessly hoping they will click that +1 or thumbs up sign to validate your life.

A Call to Action

These tools all have some value. And being connected and able to share with friends in an electronic medium isn’t a bad thing. However, when you are constantly posting photos of yourself in awkward positions or telling us that you are headed to the bathroom this becomes a problem.

Starting today – make a commitment to only share positive information that you want people to see. Sure, it’s ok to make your friends laugh with a stupid cat video every once in a while. But it’s not cool to post venomous messages about other people or personal attacks. It’s also not OK to post anything you wouldn’t want your grandparents to see or read. Stay positive, be frugal with what you put out there, and for God sakes pick up the phone and find a friend you can go talk to in person. Face to face interaction is rapidly becoming a thing of the past and it needn’t be.

Hot this week

Did David Wineland and Serge Haroche Steal Idea For The Nobel Physics Prize?

Dr. Omerbashich says the Royal Swedish Academy is a Crime Scene and he has the proof that Nobel laureates stole his discovery.

New Approaches to Disaster Relief Challenges

Disaster relief has always been a challenge. NASA, Google,...

3 Legitimate Money Making Methods to Supplement Your Income

In a perfect world, when your landlord raises your...

2016 Predictions by World Renowned Medium and Psychic Lindy Baker

World renowned medium and psychic Lindy Baker is interviewed by The Hollywood Sentinel, discussing psychic power, the spirit world, life after death, areas of concern in 2016, and much more.

Digital Coupon Customers Spending More Than Double At Stores

A new study shows that customers who use digital coupons go shopping more for groceries and other household goods more often and spend more on their shopping trips.

Truth, Justice, and the Price of Peace: A Letter to Humanity From a Tired Citizen of Earth

What is the price of peace when your heart is breaking - not from rockets or protests or flags or chants but when people stop listening.

Don’t Let’s Go To The Dogs Tonight – a South African Memoir

The war began in 1964. Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight is set in the summer of ‘79, just before an election, with white minority rule under threat.

With Republicans in Power, Firearms Rights Advocates Push to Reform Gun Laws

Gun Owners of America, a gun rights lobby, joined...

Israel Film Festival (IFF)-June 6, 2025 Prelude Luncheon

While the world antagonizes Israel, currently fighting an existential war, the Israel Film Festival (IFF) proudly held its annual sponsor luncheon.

Unibeam Secures $6M to Replace Vulnerable SMS OTPs with SIM-Based Authentication

In a bold move to redefine digital authentication, Israeli...

Can A Boiler Explode

Boiler explosions sound like something out of a disaster...

Not In Our Backyard Say Illinoisians of a Proposed New Slaughterhouse

Does anything separate rural and urban communities more than...

Related Articles

Popular Categories