Have selfies become a sign of narcissism or empowerment?
The simple “Smile”, “Duckface”, and “Pout”, are just a few of numerous poses that are used to take self portraits, or “selfies”, in this day and age. Selfies have captivated this generation throughout media allowing different people of all ages to be able to capture an image of themselves. Although everyone is snapping photos of themselves on a day to day basis, is it a sign of narcissistic behavior, or is it showing empowerment and confidence in individuals?
Selfies in Social Media
Social Media, according to Lifewire, is a web-based communication tool that enables people to interact with each other by sharing and consuming information. Social Media platforms, such as Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat, have created a database where you can share photos of yourself to family, friends, and even strangers. Sharing selfies can be a great way to interact with other individuals through the digital world. Although selfies can be very entertaining to share, selfies often create a controversial question of whether they are narcissistic or empowering.
In an Psychology Today article, it discusses the connection between narcissism and selfies. In order to analyze this connection, a study was created for men and women to see who posted content, and if the content was deemed narcissistic. The main attributes that was analyzed was “Self-sufficiency”, “Vanity”, “Leadership”, and “Admiration Demand”. As a result of the experiment, “participants’ total narcissism scores, and measures of all of the narcissism subscales except for Self-Sufficiency”. This means that overall, selfies can be deemed slightly Narcissistic due to the context of the selfie.
However, this does not mean that selfies are completely a form of narcissism.
Selfies can be used to make a statement. Many influential celebrities, such as Michelle Obama, Ellen Degeneres, the Kardashians, and Rihanna, have used selfies as a form of empowerment. Whether they are using their voice for the nation, showing body confidence, or sharing positivity and motivation everyday, these celebrities are doing it by using selfies. According to Cosmopolitan, an international fashion and entertainment magazine for females, selfies are “one of the most popular ways for women to express their individuality online”. Selfies allow all people to share who their personality and who they truly are with the world.
So, Amidst all the controversy of whether or not you are being too vain or self-absorbed, feel free to take a picture of yourself. Embrace your beauty and be powerful! I might take a selfie myself…
Alana McClellan's Promise Land 