Let's capture the moment...or not?
21:36
The
belief that we take too many pictures may be an odd one to be held by a blogger
– particularly one whose posts have a picture to text ratio of about 9:1. But
then again, I also believe it unacceptable to eat beef (due to my love of cows)
despite eating all of its farmyard friends, so let’s presume from now on that
my thoughts are a mixture of oddness/hypocrisy.
My
trail of thought began on an innocent summers evening, where I had just
purchased my new ‘Cooler’ magazine. As I turned to the Editors letter, I was
hit with an array of questions. “How many selfies do you have on your phone? Or
Instagram? Are they really only there because you were desperate to take a
picture when there was nobody else around? Was it not just vanity?” Before I
knew it I was seeing words such as ‘narcissism’ and phrases such as ‘drowning
in a pool of self-love’ and our personalities disappearing ‘in a quest for
Instagram likes, Facebook comments and tumblr followers.’
What
was happening?! I don’t even take selfies!! But why did I feel like I was being
accused? Was I any less guilty because I used photos other people had taken of
me? Has my excuse of ‘it’s for my blog’ finally been revealed?
As I sat in a state of bewilderment, I began thinking about the reasons why we post ‘selfies’. Because really there’s only one. No-one posts a picture of themselves and hopes for it not to be liked: a close-up mugshot is just asking for attention. And it is, at the end of the day, vain – nobody gets a perfect shot first time. That’s gotta be a whole lot of self-lovin to sit and take a load of pictures of your face. And then just a bit more to think that all of your friends/followers want to see these photos too.
As I sat in a state of bewilderment, I began thinking about the reasons why we post ‘selfies’. Because really there’s only one. No-one posts a picture of themselves and hopes for it not to be liked: a close-up mugshot is just asking for attention. And it is, at the end of the day, vain – nobody gets a perfect shot first time. That’s gotta be a whole lot of self-lovin to sit and take a load of pictures of your face. And then just a bit more to think that all of your friends/followers want to see these photos too.
Suddenly I had an epiphany. I felt wiser, as though my 2 years of studying Philosophy had really paid off. Wasn’t it ironic, that by posing for pictures to show to everyone that we’re enjoying the moment, we’re actually missing out that moment? Last year at Wireless festival I spent so much time trying to get pictures of Rihanna that I may as well just have sat home on Google all night. And who really cares? Did I need 100 photos of Rihanna? No. And do I really want to see yet another picture of your face on my timeline? No probably not. And when I questioned my other friends they all generally agreed – selfies are sad, bad and attention seeking.
1 comments
Amazing....... made my day reading this .............quirky & fun........brilliant combination ............
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