This may not come as a surprise to anyone with an Instagram,
but “selfie” is now the 2013 Word of the Year, according to Oxford Dictionaries. The word beat out
runners-up “twerk” and “binge-watch” for the top spot. While “selfie” was added to the
dictionary in June of 2012, in the last year its usage skyrocketed by17,000%. Celebrity selfies have
become annoyingly commonplace. 2013 even gave us the first papal selfie, a controversial presidential selfie at Nelson Mandela's funeral, a selfie from space, and even the first interplanetary selfie (from the Mars rover Opportunity, which is
surprisingly photogenic for being a decade old).
What makes a selfie unique from other forms of self-portaiture,
and there are many, is two important features. First, it doesn't work if you don't post it. The selfie is inextricably linked to
social media. Second, they're
always posed. Especially with the
advent of the front-facing camera, the line between subject and artist becomes
blurred. This pose, pic, post
formula have led many to say that the selfie is the product of a self-absorbed,
narcissistic culture. But in the
wake of the Oxford Dictionary's announcement, NBC News called the selfie “an empowering act where you control your own image.”
So maybe the selfie has a more . . . photogenic side. Recently, the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty explored the idea that the selfie could be used as a tool to help build
self-esteem for girls growing up in a world of photoshopped models and
cyberbullies. They enlisted the
help of photographer Michael Crook and award-winning director Cynthia Wade to produce “Selfie,” a brief documentary
that's been making waves in social media since its release last week. It follows female high school students in
Great Barrington, Massachusetts through a photography workshop where they and
their moms learn to take selfies together. Watch the short version below.
“You have the power to change and redefine what beauty is,”
Cook tells students in the videos. “The power is in your hands, because now, more than ever, it's right at
our fingertips. We can take
selfies,” she said. She encouraged participants to focus
their pictures on things that they didn't like about themselves. The results were showcased at a formal
photography exhibition where viewers could compliment the photos with post-it
notes.
The documentary premiered to great success at this year's Sundance Film Festival and subsequent viral status across social media
platforms. The documentary is a
redemptive work where technology and social media, for once, are the good
guys. There's a lot to be said
about the subject of self-esteem,
and though it may not be a perfect solution, re-purposing the selfie is a step
in the right direction.
What do you think? Can selfies redefine beauty? Let us know what you think in the comments. For more pop culture and technology analysis,
follow us on Twitter at @axishq and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/axishq
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