The Internet savvy are aware that the word selfie has recently been added into the dictionary. Yet to many, the unique history of taking selfies is actually unknown!

The Humble Beginnings of Taking Selfies

The terminology “selfie” started appearing on the Internet around 2004 on Flickr, a photo sharing website. MySpace however popularized this concept as users were prompted to upload pictures of themselves to identify their profile.

The practice of taking selfies grew as cellphones started introducing front facing cameras into their technology. Other technologies such as mobile apps have also been designed to accommodate both the practice of taking selfies and editing them. The tablet market even incorporated front facing cameras into their products.

Additionally, celebrities have popularized this phenomenon by taking pictures to connect with fans on social media sites such as Instagram or to and show off new hairstyles or piercings. Taking selfies has gone beyond the realm of user culture and into consumer culture as major companies have even designed selfie contests to promote their product and connect with users.

Taking Selfies is a Big Deal

Instagram in fact has become a favorite social media site as users have uploaded over 16 billion photos! In fact, the top 10 selfie related hashtags amount to over 41 million selfies on the Internet. The top 10 celebrity Instagram users have over 100 selfies uploaded to their sites alone.

The idea of the self-portrait is nothing new, and it seems like taking selfies brings a 21st Century touch to the famous portraits we have seen of classical artists such as van Gogh and Rembrandt. Now, there is a special art gallery that complies selfies for an exhibit. That’s right, you can now view London’s Moving Image Contemporary Art Fair new selfie gallery installation. The purpose of this exhibit is to celebrate the transformation of self-expression in our world.

Selfies are apart of our everyday lives and whether people like them or not, it is a social media phenomenon that cannot be ignored. From celebrities, to companies, to every day users, taking selfies have become apart of the way we use social media and there is no turning back.

How do you think selfies will evolve in the future? Let me know in the comments.

An infograhic on selfie history:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/15/selfie-history-infographic_n_4101645.html 

London’s National Selfie Portrait Gallery:
http://mashable.com/2013/10/18/national-selfie-portrait-gallery/