I recently read an article that said the 2013 Oxford Dictionary word of the year was "selfie." Interestingly enough, it seems to say something about the zeitgeist, as we become a culture increasingly obsessed with being our own publicists. Even those among us who really don't have anything momentous to report seem to be pinging Instagram and Twitter with selfies that put us on full display.
Maybe I should modify the pronoun of "us" to one which excludes me, as I've never had the desire to put my pic out there. In fact, I usually have to be threatened under penalty of death to let anyone take my picture; and I absolutely abhor the results of pretty much every picture I've ever had to take of myself. Unlike all the seasoned selfie snappers out there, I haven't perfected the art of the pose. I always come out looking less-than-glam, but that could simply be due to the fact that I'm not photogenic.
Whatever the case, my own camera blunders are not the point.
The point is that the article, in that one simple declaration, highlighted a very sad fact about the way people think. The importance they place on their own desire for recognition. A selfie is––in many cases––a shameless display of selfishness. It's the assumption that every little thing you do must be documented and seen. It's the desire to make others notice you and envy you.
Granted, there are certainly times when pictures are appropriate; but the onslaught of random shots pinging through the air at every moment, unseen in their journey to social media sites, is generally unnecessary.
Maybe we should stop taking time to snap so many selfies and look around to see what other people are doing. To see what they need. And maybe, just maybe, there will actually be a camera-worthy moment in there. Create a memory, rather than a perfect pose.
Things will be a lot more real, and a lot less selfish.
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