“I don’t like taking selfies.”
A five-word statement that would surprise many 20-somethings.
“Really? Does it mean you don’t take at least one photo of yourself a day?” “Show us your phone!” “You must be lying.”
This exchange is somewhat inevitable among the younger set considering that millennials, individuals between ages 18 and 35, are tagged as narcissists, self-absorbed and entitled. But are they, really?
As a millennial myself, I can attest that majority of this generation can be quite deliberate in showing the public how much they “love themselves.” A quick look on Facebook or Instagram means being subjected to at least three or five selfie photos your friends have posted.
In fact, according to a survey of an American teeth whitening brand, an average millennial could take about 25,700 selfies in his or her lifetime—nine selfies a week on average. The said survey, with 1,000 young adult respondents, also revealed that 95 percent have taken at least one such photo of themselves.
Here at home, selfie-taking is prevalent so much so that in 2014, TIME Magazine declared Makati City the “Selfie Capital of the World.” For every 100,000 people in Makati and Pasig, there were 258 selfie-takers, according to TIME analysis.
Experts posit that millennials are “dedicated” to chronicling their lives with selfies. Parties, travels and other important milestones and events never happened if not one selfie was posted on social media. Status updates and tweets no longer cut it without an accompanying photo.
It’s fine if the objective of said photo is to record a memory, but when it is used to gauge a person’s relevance in terms of the number of “likes” or “hearts” his photo got, that’s when it becomes dangerous.
Narcissistic and no identity
In an article posted on elitedaily.com, clinical psychologist Dr. Bart Rossi said that “If someone is obsessed with taking selfies it is most likely because the individual is self-absorbed and narcissistic.”
Such assertion could be extreme, sadly however, Dr. Rossi is not alone as many psychological professionals fear that we are in the age of selfie-addiction—and the generation in the middle of this, which is composed of young adults, is turning into attention-seeking human beings with no identity.
Selfie, and its perceived value to a person’s worth, is influencing individuals to create and curate a version of themselves deemed acceptable by the public.
Apps that help enhance and “correct” the images—smoothing out the skin, erasing dark eye circles, whitening teeth and slimming facial features, among other “beautifying” options—are used to come out with nearly perfect, if not perfect, picture.
‘The Selfie Expert’
Recently, Chinese electronics company Oppo launched in the Philippines its mobile phone that is primarily geared towards people who love to take selfies. The Oppo F1s features a 16-megapixel front camera, higher than its 13-megapixel rear snapper.
The 5.5-inch smartphone, which runs on the latest ColorOS and MT6750 octa-core processor, boasts of the built-in Beautify 4.0 software that allows users to tweak their photos—giving selfie lovers “a satisfying photo experience.”
“We came out with a phone that has a very good front camera because we are very passionate of our day-to-day life, we like to document it that’s why we take a lot of selfies,” Oppo Brand Marketing Manager for the Philippines Stephen Cheng told Manila Standard.
Recognizing youth’s love for taking selfies, Cheng revealed that F1s along with other mobile phones the company offers target the younger market.
A visual diary
Is it that bad many millennials take selfies on the daily and are concerned about the way they present themselves?
Psychologist and author Dr. Kelly McGonigal avers “being overly concerned about pictures of yourself doesn’t make you a narcissist.” She justifies the act by saying that “it’s entirely normal to be obsessed with gossip about yourself, pictures of yourself or responses to you online” when you are part of a society.
On the flip-side, selfies can be used to have some fun and show good traits of individuals exploring life, according to Dr. Rossi.
For 26-year-old Roxanne, her selfies are not posted on social media for her to fish for compliments, but rather serve as an online visual diary where she can look back and see what she looked like or where she had been at a particular time.
Besides it’s not only younger generation who share selfies on social media. A 2014 study by Pew Research Center showed that while majority or 55 percent of its respondents who share their photos are millennials, trailing on second spot with 24 percent are Gen X followed by Baby Boomers at 9 percent.
While the incidence of narcissistic personality disorder is seen high among individuals in their 20s, according to National Institutes of Health, it’s unfair to say that millennials are full of themselves just because they are taking selfies.
One could look at selfies as the ultimate symbol of the narcissistic age, but it could very well be just a form of self expression of the generation that is regarded the most optimistic despite of the conflicts and challenges they face.
So don’t frown, and smile for the camera and the rest of the world.