Making Sense Of Selfies Essay

Speaker 1: First of all, what are selfies? Pamela Rutledge, Director of the Media Psychology Research Center at Fielding Graduate University, defines selfies in “Making Sense of Selfies” as “self-generated self-portrait[s].” My first argument against our motion for today, which is “selfies [are] the latest toxin,” in society is based on my premises of familial and cultural attributes. Consider, for instance, that I am a student living far away from my parents. Simply put, I am absolutely terrible at communicating with them over long distances. So, selfies help me communicate my experiences to them in ways that words cannot, as the “selfie [serves as] the documentation of a passing moment” (Rutledge). Forgive my use of cliche here but, a picture does indeed speak louder than words. In essence, they are then able to feel as though I am right next to them, at all times. In fact, it also helps me feel like they are right next to me helping me through the passages of my life, especially since I am so far away.

Speaker 2: A simple family photograph with the camera on selfie mode during Christmas or any festivals is a simple solution to your problem of cultural and familial attribute. I …show more content…
In other words, having a life dependent on “selfies frequently trigger perceptions of self-indulgence . . . that raises the damned-if-you-do and damned-if-you-don’t specter of either narcissism or low self-esteem” (Rutledge). Therefore, using selfies as a means to escape reflects unhealthy state of mind that individuals are in at the moment. This does not even take into consideration the number individuals who ‘stalk’ their recently posted selfie on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and are simply dire for likes. Worse still, there are some who actually delete their photos because it simply did not get enough likes. There is a clear indication of insecurity