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TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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Selfie phenomenon amplified by Twitter, Instagram
MAC LEANDER
entertain@kansan.com
Whether it's flexing at the rec, posing in bathroom mirrors at the Hawk, driving home from campus, waving the wheat in Allen Fieldhouse or even hanging out at the Oscars — it always seems like the time for a selfie.
network sites like Instagram that are dedicated to sharing pictures that really pushed it over the edge."
He's doing it, she's doing it. even Ellen DeGeneres is doing it. People have transformed the selfie into a channel to communicate; it's an unwritten language (pun intended). This revolution inspired Oxford Dictionary's decision to make "selfie" 2013's Word of the Year. Though this seems like a recent phenomenon, Natalie Pennington, a University lecturer teaching 'Communication on the Internet,' mentioned that researchers suggest selfies have been around for a long time.
"There are some researchers who argue that selfies have always been around, and I tend to agree with that sentiment," Pennington said. "It is the rise of the camera phone and social
Whether the selfie is considered a historical evolution or a generational trend, Pennington said selfies are simply a way for people to say something about themselves and she doesn't see anything wrong with that. That being said, she brought up the famous selfie that managed to break Twitter — DeGeneres and the gang's Oscar selfie.
This home run selfie not only temporarily broke Twitter, but it also broke world records. The selfie was the most shared Twitter post of all time as reported by The Washington Post. Madeline Spellman, a senior from Chicago, attributes the success of the Oscar selfie to the immediate feedback enabled by social media platforms.
Ties and PRSSA. "We want to know what's going on right now, and what better way to deliver that information than with a quick Snapchat or selfie of us and our surroundings and friends? Just look at the Oscars. What would the point have been of that selfie if Ellen had just taken that picture, and not had anywhere to put it?"
"This idea of always being in the present definitely has added to the selfie phenomenon," Spellman said, who is the social media coordinator for KU's Natural
Whether it's flexing at the rec, posing in bathroom mirrors at the Hawk, driving home from campus, waving the wheat in Allen Fieldhouse or even hanging out at the Oscars — it always seems like the time for a selfie.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS
With constant access to smartphones and webcams, it looks as though selfies are here to stay. Given that many KU students are guilty of indulging in a selfie here and there, who is to say whether selfies are good or bad? Spellman herself enjoys a fun selfie with a canine companion every now and then, but said there is a time and place. This excludes flexing in the mirror or aspects of someone's daily routine.
She goes on to explain that an excessive amount of selfies may indicate an individual's poor self-worth. Pennington agrees that there are some "horrifying" selfies out there, but disagrees with Spellman's rubric for acceptable selfies by saying it's really just a way to
establish your identity.
"People take selfies as a way to say something about the self, it's an identity claim," Pennington said. "Different selfies display different things, but the very nature of the picture, taking a picture of
yourself, is self-focused,
showing people either what
you are up to or what you're
into"
Look at Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat or Twitter and you'll be bombarded by selfies. It may very well be time to embrace
tnis selfie phenomenon because there seems to be no point in fighting it. Jayhawks love their selfies just as much as the next person.
Follow @UniversityDailyKansan to check out the Jayhawk Project: #SELFIE video
Edited by Paige Lytle
@UNIVERSITYDAILYKANSAN
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