Celebrity Understanding The Selfie The rise of the selfie represents a significant development in the representation of the individual in a mediated culture.
Katrin Tiidenberg suggests that, as a phenomenon, the selfie is not entirely new; there are, for instance, significant continuities with practices associated with the previous technology of the instant Polaroid camera.
20 Rather than being a completely new phenomenon, the selfie operates a coming together, or a convergence between technology and representational practices!' The selfie brings together three elements in a new configuration.
The photographic object, the representation of the self or an object that has been taken by oneself, and the third is a digitally networked object.22 Although these three elements have a significant history that predates what has become known as the selfie, erg.
In photographic self-portraiture, it is the combination of elements that marks the seine as distinctive. Tiidenberg argues therefore, that for something to qualify as a selfie, all three of these elements must be simultaneously present: photographic object, visual self-representation and network.
Se'Hes then are defined as 'self-representational, networked photographs.' 2' Selfies do not have to be an image of a person's face, they simply have to be a self-representation. Neither do seines have to be shared.
They can be taken for personal pleasure and stored on a phone or other device, but the possibility that these images might be networked should be a possibility.
Digital technology and social media mean that the selfie is generated on a device that has the capacity of connecting to millions of similar devices around the world.
This creates the possibility, as Tiidenberg expresses it of the number of potential eyeballs that can see it.' Digital technology, then, enables an exponential increase in the number of pictures that are created, and the ease with which they can be taken.
This new facility is combined with the possibility of an audience of hundreds, or possibly millions, when these pictures are shared. sharing photos does not simply increase the audience for an image, it also brings a new kind of social dynamic.
Photos that are shared operate in networks to develop conversation, connection and community. Images are able to move between individuals and groups, bringing new kinds of relationships.
The result is that photos operate as a kind of 'social currency.' "By posting a well-chosen image at the right time in the right place, we can say, "I am who I claim to be", "i belong" or "i understand the rules of this community."125 Profile pictures, on social networking sites and dating apps, can be regarded as early versions of the selfie. in these contexts, images are not simply concerned with looks.
These images are self- representation in photographs that are used to communicate a number of nuanced messages about the self. Photos are often updated and changed for a range of reasons. Images that show the individual having fun or being funny are generally preferred.
Women seem to be drawn towards images that portray them with friends and family or celebrating a special occasion. Men on the other hand tend to show themselves engaged in activities. Men are also much more likely to upload a video of themselves.
The visual clues that are contained in photos are used by followers and viewers to assess the authenticity of the person's profile. Claims made by an individual can be judged against the kinds of images that they regularly post of themselves." Taken together the sum of everything posted online can be seen as a 'networked self-representation.'
The presentation of the self in these ways is fundamental to social media. For Dannah Boyd and Nicole Ellison, social media is defined as web-based services that supports the articulation of a group of users who share a connection.
The individual who has created the profile is able to view and negotiate a way through the various connections that are made. The self, and how the self is performed, is therefore central to how social media operates. Profiles and posts are constructed in order to attract attention - likes and shares are everything.
The selfie, then, should be read not as an isolated object, or practice, but as a part of this wider flow of self-representation within a networked online environment. As Tiidenberg expresses it, selfies are experienced by people 'within an endless flow of posts, other peoples posts, relationships, people, platforms, visual tropes and popular norms.'
The practice of taking a selfie involves a whole series of activities that may include: 'posing, editing, posting, saving, sending, deleting, hashtagging, commenting, captioning, liking and rep osting selfies.' These practices support a particular performance of the self, but they also imply a notion of the presence of the self.
Selfies are a particular form of making oneself present in the world. Social networking sites enable the individual to create a steady flow of images and words that reinforce the sense that the individual has a presence and exists in relationships that are in a context, A selfie can simply be a way of letting our family and friends know that we have arrived at a particular location; it can, however, also be used to convey a message, for instance photographing ourselves next to a gay pride flag. Selfies also can be a way to perform the self that we wish to be seen as.
SeHies, then, might be a means to garner attraction on, for instance, a dating site, or they can be used as a form of marketing to make money." Selfies are not simply a performance of the self, they also provide an opportunity, and perhaps an invitation, to comparison. Understanding the self, in relation to others, is fundamental to identity formation and construction.
The selfie can read as operating as a part of these processes. Social media platforms have increased the possibilities for comparison of the self in almost unlimited ways.
The flow of images that come across the screen represent an environment that is participative and interactive. Social media is social*, it takes place through a series of relationships. The self online is therefore not an isolated individual but a networked person.
