I’m not the first person to mention  Kim Kardashian today, but when people think of selfies, hers is one of the first faces to come to mind. In 2014, Kim cropped her baby out of a selfie, giving her much negative attention. Many tabloid articles were born from the Insta-scandal. Fans commented that she was selfish, wanted the whole spotlight to herself. One even wrote Kim “is a slutty mom who don’t care for her child”.

In last week’s readings, Rettberg said that sharing selfies can be compared to reaching out to hug the viewer- the viewer is closer to the subject than the camera. Celebs use this as a way to bring fans closer to them, making it seem like they are completely open. The fan thinks they know everything relevant about the celebrities life. This is the very idea behind a “selfie nation”. Nothing could be further from the truth. A lot of celebrities keep their children from the public eye as much as possible, children being the one small thing they won’t share with the public. However, Kim recognizes the post 9/11 attitube mentioned by Boyd: “if you hide something, you’re a terrorist”. Therefore, she and Kanye West have been extremely open and forthcoming with pictures of and information about their baby. This way, they aren’t hastled, and they handle the media on their own terms. The baby-crop scandal is proof that as soon as Kim censored her life the slightest bit, fans couldn’t handle it.

I wonder how the selfie city project would differ if it was taken on by celebrities instead of normal people posting Insta-pics. It probably wouldn’t- aside from being a lot more manicured. I take a lot of selfies in bed when I wake up. I also take a lot on the toilet. In this way, I am inviting people into the very intimate moments in my life. I expand Boyd’s definition of the superpublic to include the fact that with selfies, all spaces are in the public sphere- even the most private places in the home. I also wanted to note what “public” is. Boyd touched on the fact that the notion of a public is highly subjective- and a public may include members that a speaker doesn’t realize her or she is addressing. The “public” is a metaphysical term- and it is a concept that would not exist is we did not have a word for it. People in this age have the luxury of choosing their own public. With “selfienation”, it is apparent that the technically connected have chosen to make our entire lives public. People in very different cities all over the world have very similar image plots, which even further proves that many boundaries and distinguishing factors between nations no longer exist.

dannah boyd adresses in her blog post about the term, “super publics”; the notion of a newly changed public world constructed as a biproduct of a digital social life and its push for a certain information flow. She gets to saying that this new public is an alteration from it’s previous meaning by the infusion of the digital sphere; a place where time has little affect on the present that changes every reload, and audience members are unknown. Everything is understood on a public platform, we are aware of the Internet nature, and it is not something that we fear but appreciate. I do not however take selfies very seriously, but more for comedic relief. Although, I am guilty of my few on fleek selfies that will just sit in my phone as a beauty reminder! This past weekend, one of my favorite beautiful diasters took part in a commercial which was meant to change the way data is consumed. Kim Kardarishian West gave a compelling reason as to why everyone should switch to T-mobile, which was to gaze upon her many selfies of course! Daily life is shifting, there is always more information to access, and unlimited space for expression, broadcasting, and its affect, exposure. I do not however think this a bad thing necessary. Our world suddenly is more aware of anothers gaze, forcing us to behave in a more appropiate manner, because you really dont know who is watching. Photos taken 55 years ago display only one side of life by only capturing celebratory moments, it is kind of an unfair vantage point to look back on situations. Photographs now are able to document everything, because of the convenience of the smartphone. I am wondering now how many other parts of our culture are shifting because of this digital life and this partnership with technology; what ideas and habits has technology instilled in our culture?

I myself have been apart or taken selfies that in my opinion are worth all the shame I get for taking them. Most of these pictures are taken within the confines of snapchat, and are displayed only to a limited friend circle, which is 35 people tops. However, some of this pictures have been taken moved to another form of social media, most of these where only meant for my eyes, but they are too good not to share! The selfies in my photo library are obvious moments that should be documented.

 Selfie with some of my younger siblings. The front facing camera is great in moments where you are the only one with a phone! This one I did add a filter on so I could post it to Instagram.

Selfie with the gals! We were about to in the water but first, Snapchat! #Snorkool

Selfie at the hospital! What a night. Midnight trip to urgent care which turned surgical! This was meant to document this moment of destruction.

In Danah Boyd’s article she discusses and further clarifies the idea of the ‘Super Public’. For Danah, the super public is an entity that is defined as the unknown, or the public that extends beyond that of the immediately accessible public or audience. But as people become more familiar with the concept of the super public and aware of its existence, why do we continue to treat technology prior to us knowing of its presence. The infinitely larger audience, or super public, that commands the flow of content in the realm of the internet has forced the human-technology relationship into a strange place. I think its fair to say that people are overly affectionate and caring when it comes to their technological device. What I find so fascinating is that technology has immediately assumed the role of a diary of sorts. Its intimate relationship to the human is strange and a bit contradictory, as the structural nature of technological devices don’t necessarily support its intimate role, as things have naturally become more accessible and shareable. But when an individual shares data or information with a device, does the individual understand the device as representing a more personal grouping of people, a larger number of people, a public space, or an extremely private one. This perception of the iPhone (or whatever technological device it may be) dictates the information shared, it would also allow one to speculate as to whether people are becoming more or less extraverted with the advent of small technological devices, primarily used for social purposes. In taking a selfie, are one’s thoughts more outwardly focused, as they are more directed at the pure aesthetic of the photograph, instead of stimulating more critical thinking?

Just as a part of our political activist self has become more passive with the advent of the “like” button, one could also argue that our private persona is becoming more “public”. I guess this could come full circle and relate to the idea of technological determinism, in the fact that we now filter or edit ourselves for pre-determined and larger groupings of individuals. One could argue that this self-editing parallels that of which takes place in the real world, and to some degree it does, but it in no way can the internet provide such a spectrum of interaction. I think that Danah Boyd’s Super Public sheds light on the errors and fallacies present in our current understanding and relationship with technological devices and virtual communities. We all aren’t fully getting the Internet. But I guess our misunderstandings have generated a diverse range of content. Would a strong analytical understanding of the connective pathways of the digital world enlighten us to not make bad digital decisions? Would it make the internet more boring? Or would it become a place riddled with intentionality (which could be boring)?

People don’t like selfies and they’re making a serious stand against them.

I’ve been seeing an article circulate recently that lists places all over the world where selfies have been banned. Who would’ve thought it would come to this point and become such a problem? And you can actually get in serious trouble to the point where you get fined a ton of money!

Guaranteed, each location has legitimate reasons for the selfie ban. For example, being banned from taking a selfie in Pamplona, Spain amidst “Running of the Bulls” is completely understandable. Safety is obviously the main concern because, well, you could get killed! One man who took a selfie with a bull charging right behind him was fined $4,000 for the act. And Spain isn’t the only ones dropping large fines. Great Britain and South Korea are limiting people’s use of the “selfie stick”. Though Great Britain isn’t charging, they do ban selfie sticks in crowded areas and popular music venues. South Korea, on the other hand, is not afraid to charge you up to $30,000 and a possible three-year jail sentence for using unauthorized, Bluetooth selfie sticks. Are you afraid now? Because I am.

One of the most interesting locations for me that banned selfies for the holidays is La Garoupe Beach in France. The beach was designated as a “No Braggies Zone”, and holiday police officers patrolled the area stopping anyone who tried to take a selfie. When I did some further reading on this, I found out that in France, a selfie is synonymous to bragging. To them, if you take a selfie, it almost always means you have something to brag about and will most likely post it on social media to share with your friends. Long story short, the purpose of the “No Braggies Zone” is just that. Don’t brag to your friends, and do not make them hate you as you get your tanned on a white sandy beach while sipping margaritas. Basically, enjoy the moment… but keep it to yourself.

https://www.yahoo.com/parenting/the-problem-with-teens-and-instagram-109530386647.html

After reading Danah Boyd’s article regarding “super publics” I was left truly reflecting just how public social media outlets like Instagram are. By simply having your profile on public literally anyone around the world can look at what you posts and get an insider look at your perceived life. Now I don’t see this as a necessarily scary or new idea but in regards to the affects it has on teenagers, I will simply say I’m glad I’m at least of legal drinking age now as these outlets become larger and larger. I say this because I was reading an article on yahoo parenting that discussed some of the issues teenagers have when they post to Instagram. In the article we presented with a 6th grade boy who posts a selfie of himself on Instagram with his fathers empty beer bottle. Now you may think this kid is just trying to be funny, he probably thought so too. However, it is in instances like these that people take no consideration for the potential consequences that may come.

In the article we find out that within minutes of posting the beer selfie, the boys parents demand he take down the picture. Now I am all for privacy do I do believe that these kids need some adult supervision online because they are not yet adults themselves. Also, had the boy not taken down the picture the consequences may have been severe and affecting not only the boy, but his parents. A simple post like this has the potential to get the boy detention, suspension, and maybe even expulsion. Worse would be a visit from child protection services. I remember when I was in high school and myspace was the preferred social media outlet. Some members of my high school soccer team had posted pictures to myspace of a house party they threw that had underage drinking. Because myspace was relatively new and it was just expected that young people used it, there was yet no regard to the implications/rules for posting and tagging. Needless to say you can expect where this story leads…. Many of the team were disqualified for that season and had further punishment by the school and parents.

When people post online, they are posting for the world to see. Quite literally they are posting not for themselves, but for others, for strangers, sometimes intentionally. With an ever growing desire to be popular or to fit in with standard norms of what is cool, the constant need for followers and likes has taken precedent over self privacy. It appears to me that some people are more concerned with having a growing fan base then they are the risk of stalkers or social/family/legal problems. I have had my photos on facebook create family drama because there are pictures of me at gay bars and much of my family lives in conservative South America. This has all led me to post much less and truly consider what I post before I do. I know of “super publics” and of the social rules and standards of social media. More importantly, we need to educate our youth of this.

Who cares about public opinion when you have God to worry about? I wrote this post at 4am in the morning and had the weirdest idea to google “what God thinks of selfies”. Interestingly, I found numerous articles on the topic, but for purposes of brevity, I will be referring to this one- http://students.opwest.org/blog/articles/2014/04/christian-selfies

The article first establishes the Christian method of questioning to all standards of behavior: “Is this a good thing? How does this affect me? What impact would it have on others?” The article also mentions that part of the “normal, ascetic life of a Christian is to be aware of, and reflect on the motives that prompt our actions”. Saint Catherine of Siena is also quoted as saying that we must dwell “in the cell of self-knowledge in order to better know God’s goodness”.

In view of this, it appears that Christians ought to abstain from taking selfies those who take them (and worse, post them) are interpreted as being narcissistic and completely lacking in self-awareness. The article elaborates by mentioning vanity as detracting from our humility and focus on God, and developing pride that challenges a willingness to serve God. It was also funny to me that they were enraged to discover that the word “selfie” had made it into the Oxford dictionary in 2013. Rather than just a social taboo, it is interesting to consider how such a seemingly harmless modern phenomenon might conflict with traditional religious teachings.

On a separate note, I was surprised that the selfie stick did not come up in this week’s readings. Given the negative hype that surrounds people who take selfies and post selfies, it would seem even more outrageous that a product was manufactured for the specific purpose of facilitating an activity and behavior that is shrouded in such negativity. On a broader scale, it is interesting to note how products are manufactured to suit our changing and evolving needs, and that products with a single use/ purpose are becoming increasingly popular.

On a recent trip to Disneyland, I noticed many couples and even families carrying selfie sticks. Thinking about my own practice of selfie taking, I take selfies when there isn’t anyone to take a photo for me, but I still want the moment to be captured. In a similar fashion, I imagine couples and families prefer to take their own photos, rather than have someone else take them (I always think asking is a little bit awkward and people surprise me with how bad of a photograph they manage to take). Combined with flip camera technology, it just seems a lot easier to get a sense of what your face looks like on camera before actually taking a picture, thereby eliminating terrible things like ugly drivers’ license photos. Vanity or not, I think our desire to look our best (if not better) is what drives such “self-photography”.

Within this week’s readings, the issue was raised revolving around appropriate vs. inappropriate times to take selfies. These appropriate or inappropriate times can depend on the current circumstances, the location, the people involved, and more. In Elizabeth Losh’s essay discussing feminist media theory within the Selfiecity site,  she describes the cultural conversation about when selfie-taking can be seen as taboo or one that tip-toes the line between the private and public sphere.

This question of when is it right or wrong to take a selfie in this day and age reminded me of this Buzzfeed article that reported the online reaction to people taking selfies at one of the most recent tragedies, that of the Sydney Siege in late 2014. As many recall, a cafe in Sydney was taken over by a lone terrorist and hostages were taken during the standoff, which resulted in the deaths of two and injuries in others. This Buzzfeed piece, entitled “Outrage as Bystanders Take Selfies at Sydney Siege,” collected and reported on various Twitter reactions to people, mainly tourists who were visiting Sydney, who had been caught taking selfies in front of the cafe scene during the 16-hour standoff.

Of course, most of the reactions that were screenshot and presented in this article condemned this act of taking a selfie in front of a hostage crisis. Many claimed that taking such a photograph was selfish, disrespectful, and was just plain inappropriate at such a catastrophic event as this. Some even marked this showing as the end of decent humanity. Thus, this moment in history has definitely been categorized by a majority of people as an inappropriate time to take a selfie. Like some of the case studies within the reading for this week, like those on the Auschwitz selfie and selfies during funerals, these times have been designated as not the right time to take such a photo.

So, what makes a time appropriate or inappropriate to take a picture of yourself using your phone/camera? If all selfies are seen negatively as narcissistic, selfish, or egotistical, why aren’t all times in life considered inappropriate to take a selfie? I thought that this point might be an interesting one to flesh out, as I feel like my friends and I know what could be considered the right time to take a selfie or not. We can see and understand why there would be outrage over selfies during the hostage crisis. But how have we learned to know the difference between when/where is right and when/where is wrong?

We see the idea of ‘super publics’ described in Boyd’s reading for this week defining an ever changing public. Thus using examples of Bloomberg dressing the ‘local’ paper as The New York Times, and referencing his audience as New Yorkers, not a village in Kenya.  This idea of dressing an audience is very pertinent to the selfie world.  The particular facial expression, smile, or random object in the background is  inherently trying to market and be shared with a particular public.  However, we can see this go terribly wrong when selfie etiquette is not properly met.  We often see this within the controversial Obama selfie at Mandela’s funeral or the Auschwitz selfie.  While  both may have been done in good taste, does that mean that they are actually okay?  When searching selfie etiquette on google the first thing that pops up is a list of 8 simple rules that selfie takers should be aware of and take precaution to.

1.Get permission. If you want to take a photo of yourself, with no one else in the picture, by all means, go ahead. However, if someone else is in it, make sure the other person is okay with it. Let her know what you plan to do with it and stick to your plan. Don’t post anywhere different without her permission.

2. Safety comes first. Never take a selfie in a situation that can put your life or health in danger. For example, you may think you look really cool driving along the highway with the window open, your hair blowing in the breeze. If you pull out your camera to shoot a selfie, you’re putting not only your own life in danger, you’re risking anyone else who just happens to be on the road.

3.Don’t succumb to bad taste for humor’s sake. If you are in a situation that you think is funny, stop and consider how it will appear to others. Never take a selfie in a public restroom where someone else may be in an embarrassing position or situation.

4.Be respectful. If you are at a holocaust museum, taking a selfie in front of an exhibit shows a lack of respect for those whose lives were lost in this horrific era. People’s emotions are still raw over what happened, and they are likely to be that way for centuries. There are places where selfies are never appropriate, including a funeral, ICU or critical care unit in a hospital, and disaster site where people died.

5. Show kindness. When you see someone who is less fortunate than you, don’t stop and pose for a selfie. Instead, do something nice like give a blanket to a homeless man, offer to get something off a top shelf for a handicapped person, or hold a door for a young mom struggling with toddlers and packages.

6. Offer help, not a photo. If you witness an accident or someone getting injured, call for emergency help and stay with the person. Don’t whip out your cell phone and start snapping selfies as you assist. The only time you should take a picture of the situation is if it can be of some help later to show what happened. Never post the photos of a tragedy or accident on social media.

7. Don’t post intimate selfie shots. I’ve recently seen some selfies that have made me blush, and I don’t get embarrassed easily. My first reaction is to block those people from my social media feed because it’s clear that they have bad taste. It might be fun to make out with your boyfriend on the bus, but it’s inappropriate to share it with the world.

8. Don’t overdo selfies in social media. If you want to snap photos of yourself waking up, eating your morning cereal, working out at the gym, walking into your cubicle, having lunch with friends, leaving work at the end of the day, and having drinks with friends, go right ahead. Just don’t think everyone wants to see every single aspect of your day. Choose one good one (preferably one that is interesting to someone other than you and your mama) and post it. If you do more, people may see you as narcissistic.

http://etiquette.about.com/od/Manners/fl/8-Selfie-Etiquette-Tips.htm

This list seemed to me the most logical and practical way of taking a selfie.  We often see crude things such as these unfortunate photos that don’t take other human beings into consideration.  While the selfie may be for you, you need to think about the public around you before you share that photo.

(How not to selfie)

http://www.oddee.com/item_99032.aspx

While reviewing the images on the link above, I became really angered that someone would actually think it was okay to take a photo at that particular time.  Especially the selfie of the homeless man, as well as the selfie of the suicidal man.  These two examples are done in bad taste and make you question what public was there target audience?

Selfiecity clearly demonstrated the demographics of the selfie and how cities can demonstrate a particular emotion through a photo.  However, it would be interesting to see if they came across selfies in bad taste, or what they categorized as inherently a ‘bad selfie.’