The Selfie

Theories vary on the origin of the Selfie, and I am thinking that I don’t really care where it all started. Add to this that I certainly do not want the background information on the Belfie.  Anyway – as usual I am a little behind (pardon the pun) on all the “latest” whatever…. The point is that I find selfies to be fun and funny on a couple of different levels. I have never taken one, but I might at some point if I can figure out how to do it.

I have done a bit of looking around. I have found that not all selfies are Justin Bieberish – blatantly self-absorbed and sort of sad. Even POTUS has been known to take a selfie – of the group variety. Hmm…that is embarrassing on some level. Yet -- it’s important to note that not all selfies are trying to convince an "audience" that someone is popular, or that contrary to opinion, that the person featured has a life. Sometimes people are just plain having fun and want to share their happiness with friends -- or the world.  That’s nice. It’s fun.

Especially on the funny side of “fun and funny” are those bright bulbs who cannot resist taking and posting selfies while they are committing crimes. Some of their bragging photos have even evolved into selfie videos. What must it be like to be so “into” yourself that you cannot see beyond your own face?  Seriously – those fifteen minutes of fame can be very costly.  They are also funny to those who read about them.  It’s makes the reader feel smart(er).  That’s nice too.

The thing is that like all things “viral”, this phenomenon has developed a life of its own.  There are Selfie Booths, Selfie Poles, and now the CamMe app, the CamMe Photo Booth, The CamMe Fun Shot and, my personal favorite --  Nixie … the wearable drone camera that you can wear like a bracelet so that you can take aerial photos of yourself. It is called a grab-on.  Does anyone else find this to be amazing?  The Nixie grabs-on to your wrist until you need it to verify that you are climbing a mountain or doing something that would warrant an aerial view photo.  You could, for example use it to see the top of your head.  The slogan used by the Nixie folks is “Set your camera free.”  What I wonder is -- how do you get it back?

Sometimes it is all just too much for me. Here I thought I was making huge progress when I figured out how to post a phone photo on Facebook.  Now if I could just figure out how to move photos from my android to my computer so that I could print them more easily or better yet - how to set up my printer to link to a cloud so that I could use WiFi to print from it, I could take a selfie to share my celebration.  Right?  

Just one more thing.... why is it selfie and not selfy? I thought the "rule" was "change the y to i and add es".  I do have trouble keeping up with the latest "trends".  I am thinking that I am not alone in this.  I am thinking that I am in good company.