This article was originally published on HelloGiggles.
Loving, embracing, and photographing yourself is seen as narcissism in today’s society. The term “Myspace Pic” hit the internet mid 2000s, and the arrival of the front-facing camera in 2010, changed the entire selfie game. Photographs taken with a camera, in a mirror, or at a certain angle all represent the early selfie images.
Now the term “selfie” is as normal as any other word — it’s even been included in the Oxford Dictionary and was the “Word of the Year” in 2013.
National Selfie Day was established in 2014 by DJ Rick McNeely from Fishbowl Radio Network. The DJ encourages people to take a self-portrait in a creative way. By posting on Facebook, Instagram, or any other social media platform, your selfie will be re-posted by the National Selfie Day Facebook page.
Moreover, applications like Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter have established a selfie renaissance. Each app delivers a different tone — soft filter vs. animal filters, or curated images vs. spontaneous images.
For many people, selfies are a form of self-love, celebration, and joy.
So we are here to tell you to find that good lighting, tilt that camera high, and work that self timer. There is no shame in a selfie. For National Selfie Day on June 21, we are giving your four fantastic reasons to upload that selfie onto Instagram.
1. You’re in control
Who doesn’t love being the photographer and the subject? The empowerment behind choosing angles, lighting, and environment enables you to control the outcome.
A recent study found that 2,000 women between the ages of 16 and 25 spend on average 16 minutes, three times a day, taking selfies. Moreover, the study found that individuals stored at least 150 selfies on their phones or computers. The control to post an image, or keep it in private, is up to you and you alone.
2. You give yourself self-affirmation and self-love
The Body Image Survey from Ideal to Real TODAY/AOL found that 65 percent of teenage girls view their selfies as a boost of confidence. It also found that social media helps 40 percent of teens present their “best face to the world.”
The director of the Media Psychology Research Center, Dr. Pamela Rutledge, explains, “From early Greeks to present day, people have used self-study and self-observation to explore identity and sense of self. Trying to figure out who we are and what we’re about is a distinctly human pursuit for almost everyone, whether you are trying to find greater consciousness or figure out what moved you to buy the blue shoes.”
3. You capture a memorable moment
In the age where we are constantly taking photographs, it’s also rare that that we keep these photos. While we can praise Snapchat, we lose those images forever. Selfies are a way to brand ourselves and make ourselves known in the present time. For ourselves, and for any willing viewers.
Molly Soda, a 28 year old visual artist tells HelloGiggles, “I’ve probably taken AT LEAST one selfie every day since I was 14.”
By looking through old photographs, we can have a more complete image of ourselves and be more self-defined. Capturing moments, looks, styles, and memories contributes to building an identity.
4. Because you ~want~ to
Do we even need to expand on this? Do whatever you want, whenever you want. Self expression through social media and selfies is beautiful. If you’re feeling your look, post it. If you’re digging your hair, share it. You exist in the world and you can do whatever you damn well please.
You might think selfies are a completely new invention, but they’ve actually been around for a while. Self-protraiture has been a part of society since the invention of the camera in the 1860s, and even further back, through painting. Since cell phones and computers have advanced in recent years, so has daily documentation.
In other words, selfies are normal. So for National Selfie Day, make sure to tag your creative image, go outside of the every day selfie-shot, and express yourself.
