“But first ... let me take a selfie” seems to have become a slogan for everyone from celebrities to children who are happily striking poses and clicking themselves. It could be in a busy street or a restaurant, atop a mountain or in the privacy of one’s (bath) room.

Amina, a mother of two children, is worried about the growing trend, “Children are immature; you cannot even guess what they can do to prove themselves,” she says, “I am very scared of the outlandish things that one can do especially since I read about the Polish couple who slipped and died after falling off a cliff in Portugal while taking a selfie.”

It wasn’t a one-off case; there have been other accidents too. A man was found dead at the bottom of a ravine near a waterfall in China; his mobile phone and selfie stick were found with him. Apparently, he lost his footing while taking a selfie. In another incident a man in Mexico accidentally shot himself in the head while taking a selfie with a loaded gun pointed at his head.

The term ‘selfie’ can be traced back to 2002 when it was used in an Australian online forum. A man posted a picture of injuries to his face that he sustained when he tripped over some steps. He explained that it was out of focus not because he was drunk but because it was a selfie.

Duckfaces, pouts and endless poses ... everyone seems to want to take selfies

The Oxford English Dictionary defines ‘selfie’ as “a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website”.

According to a BBC report, in 2013, the term selfie was named word of the year by Oxford Dictionaries. Research suggested that its frequency in the English language had increased by 17,000 per cent in the last year (2012-2013), the editors are reported to have said. The word has evolved from a niche social media tag into a mainstream term for a self-portrait photograph.

“Isn’t it cool to take a picture before going to the party and see how you look?” Faisal, graphic designer by profession, says, “After all the memories are stored in the pictures, one can relish them every time one sees the pictures.”

Subhan Elahi, a student at the university, relies more on taking selfies than looking in the mirror. “The mirror tells the truth whereas pictures can be edited to show yourself look prettier,” he says, “I like the power to choose the way I look even if it is the duck-faced selfie.”

It is not about only looking pretty, but picture perfect. “Who wouldn’t want to be appreciated; if I get positive comments about my appearance, it definitely gives confidence,” Mehreen accepts. Differing from her friend, Fajr thinks that appreciation could be a mini-booster but more importantly selfies are just light-hearted moments that we want to share with our friends and acquaintances. It is just for the sake of fun.

According to a study commissioned by the British website feelunique.com, 28 per cent of the 2,000 women surveyed, aged between 16 and 25, admitted to taking a photo of themselves at least once a week. Nearly 22pc young women confessed that ‘likes’ on the social media boost their ego and nearly half of the women agreed that they take an attractive selfie to boost their mood when they feel low regarding their looks.

On the other hand, Anum is fed up of taking selfies, “We are so engrossed in taking selfies that at times we even neglect the person sitting next to us. I prefer to live in the moment rather than storing moments to be enjoyed later.”

Usually the people who post an excessive amount of selfies are seeking attention and feeding their narcissistic urges. “I was saddened over my breakup. I posted a sequence of selfies from going to the college to the restaurants and on vacations to Thailand,” a friend asking anonymity says, “I want to show his friends whom he has lost.”

Afnan Asim thinks it is a mental disorder. “Selfie is self-obsession. Those people who are attention seekers craving for others’ interest can be driven to click one after the other.”

On the extreme end of that spectrum there’s the case of 19 year old Danny Bowman, called ‘Britain’s first selfie addict’ who clicked up to 200 pictures of himself a day in an attempot to capture the ‘perfect’ selfie. His obsession eventually led to him attempting suicide.

And now with a new array of technology onslaught, selfie culture has got a new dimension. Selfie sticks are specifically designed for far away views. If it is difficult to include a number of people in the phone’s camera lens, convenience comes the way in the form of selfie sticks to add an extension to your hand. The selfie culture is a growing fad, and such self-infatuation would not die soon.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, September 13th, 2015

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