WRITER DIARIES: Anatomy of the #Selfie Culture-What is Selfish and What is Not

If you were born between 1970 to 2003, then you surely have found yourself breathing the same air and walking alongside people of the so-called "#Selfie Generation"--that you are inevitably much a part of, whether you like it or not.

With the rise of the virtual dimension and of the #selfie phenomenon, it is undeniable that we have given "me, myself & I" a whole new meaning. Mark Zuckerburg's addicting invention of an online social platform has brought about the flooding of self-taken pictures (that annoyingly look all the same) and is responsible for the unstoppable overflowing unsolicited information regarding everyone's whereabouts and where-have-been-abouts up to what they are doing, what they had for lunch, where they're going....and! ehem, who are they fighting with.

What a perfect way to define
"TMI" (too much information or info overload)


I do love posting. And so do you.
I take pictures of myself and of the happenings that are thrilling to me. And so do you.
I like "stalking" my friends. And so do you. (No, don't deny it!)
I write and share about my life from tidbit-statuses to long articles. And so do you.




But do all these automatically mean that we are a generation comprised of grossly arrogant, self-absorbed, self-indulgent vain individuals?



Some say yes. Some say no. But either way, it is also a good thing that our generation is less prone to low self-esteem...or so I think.


Let me en-vibe the #Selfie spirit and share about what I think (as if it matters haha)


I think that it depends greatly on the kind of selfies you are posting. And I am not talking merely about the self-taken photos but I am also referring to the things we post, how much we post, and what kind of things we regularly talk and share about over the net. 

Do you go waaaaaaay over the line and sound overly narcissistic like "This is me in my car, me drying my hair, me painting my nails, me on my room, me there, me here, me today, me yesterday, me feeling, me mad, me happy, me on the road, me hafta use bathroom, be back soon, me, me, me, me, please check out and approve of meeeeeeee!"? All to the point that people just want to 1-2-3 you? (1. Hide from Timeline 2. Delete Friend 3. Block)

Self-expression is a good thing as long as it inspires others, but once it annoys others...then you should know that it's time to tone down.


So how do we draw the line between the Selfish #Selfie and the Healthy kind of #Selfie?



I actually have a list of the kind of Selfies that I consider to lean towards the Selfish category in a blog article called "12 Acts of SELFIE-shness"


A selfless kind of #Selfie is a HEALTHY EXPRESSION OF ONESELF THAT AIMS TO INSPIRE OTHERS.  For instance, I've read blogs on fashion, relationships, careers and arts and more, and even though it talks about the bloggers' SELF, it nonetheless inspires me and motivates me to become a better person.



When posting your accomplishments, don't brag, but rather inspire and motivate. Make people want to go out and accomplish something as well. 

When sharing a depth about a hobby you're passionate about, don't sound like you're one annoying "know-it-all," but rather share it as if you want to encourage people to try it out. 

Nothing's wrong with people who love posting #OOTDs, it actually most of the time inspires a lot of other people out there to find their own style and individuality.

Share about your volunteerism. Not because you want people to praise you for your heroism, but only because you want other people to be heroes in their own ways as well. 




Another good thing about the #Selfie culture is that now, everyone has their own personal branding and from there everyone can build their own individual brands that can make them stand out from the rest, thus giving them the privilege to embrace what makes them different. 



The #Selfie culture has birthed rising influential people from YouTube sensations to bloggers and fashion bloggers and has proven that anyone can be known and can be heard because of THEIR OWN AUTHENTIC SELVES and not just because of fitting into the "Hollywood Standard." 



In this self-promotion era, we, the #Selfie-made individuals, must acknowledge that a healthy amount of confidence is a springboard to conquering your greatest  and wildest dreams that does not only impact you alone but can also branch out to the success of other people whom you've inspired. In the rise of the online platform, we are vulnerable to bringing change and igniting a great revolution! 


So leave the guilt feeling behind and JUST GO AHEAD AND TAKE THAT #SELFIE!