Selfie. Someone, somewhere always has something to say about the selfie. Ever since Selfie was named the Oxford Dictionary word of the year in 2013 people have been sharing their views on the self-image. What I wonder is why some people are still so offended by this term and it’s connotations along with the contradiction this represents in today’s world where we strive for gender equality. As a blogger I quite like to post a nice selfie when I can, as you will definitely have seen over on my instagram feed; I also love nothing more than scrolling through my instagram timeline and obsessing over what has come to be known as insta-goals. I do a lot more however than just posting selfies, I spend hours taking and editing blog photos every week so pardon me if sometimes a quick selfie snap on my iPhone makes the cut. Too often I hear women being defined by the art of selfie-taking, referred to as vain and narcissistic rather than the other adjectives which could be used – confident, happy and strong. I wanted to share my views today on International Womens Day 2016, on why the selfie is not all bad and why I believe we should promote and encourage selfies.

Let’s rewind a little, a selfie is defined as follows ‘A photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically taken on a  smartphone and shared via social media’. In fact, I even have a tshirt with this definition on it (see this outfit post). Many people enjoy photography, selfies in my opinion are a fun extension of photography. Sure, you do not need any professional equipment or skills other than owning your angles but it’s still creating a nice image for future memories. The sad story is the negativity associated with selfies, the idea of how taking a selfie somehow makes you a bad person. I am sure many of my blogger friends can relate to the loud ‘tsk’ when spotted taking a selfie or the even more obnoxious ‘Are you taking a Selfie???‘ as if that could not be possible. Heck yes I am, I just spent an hour getting dolled up, of course I want to take a selfie!

Sure, selfies are fun in the first instance but as I recently explained to a friend there is a lot more to a selfie than just the selfie. In the beauty blogging industry selfies are a fantastic way to show how a beauty product looks when used. I love to show lipstick or eyeshadows which I am reviewing for BecBoop over on my instagram channel by way of a selfie, it’s also a little more relatable and in my opinon more exciting than a simple product swatch. I am no makeup artist so when I am trying out beauty products you can get a fair idea of how they would look, depending on skin tones etc. by looking at my insta-feed.

Positivity. Selfies exude positivity. In a world where everyone claims to be feminist, pro-womens rights and promoting body-confidence, why are so many people still showing negativity towards girls who are confident enough to post their face on the inter-web. I have previously written about my bullying experience in relation to being a redhead and it makes me so happy to know that I have the confidence now to own my hair colour and proudly show it on my instagram feed whenever I choose. I am lucky to receive very minimal nasty comments on my instagram channel but I have seen many bloggers targeted by internet bullies commenting on their appearance on selfie posts. It is so inspiring to see these women overcome the bullies by continuing to show their strength and self-confidence and share whatever self-images they choose.

Selfies have also been used by charities in recent years to raise much needed funds. The initiative which most sticks in my mind is the no makeup selfie campaign which raised money for cancer research. Immediately most of the individuals I follow had uploaded their no-makeup selfies.

Dissing the selfie certainly says a lot more about the person doing the talking rather than the person in front of the camera, so to speak. It’s your social media channel and you have the freedom to post whatever you choose there. I applaud every woman I see posting a selfie whether it be pouting or smiling, this is a form of inspiration to many. We all have our own battles and it is so inspiring to see people smiling their way through life, so instead of begrudging the selfie isn’t it easier to double tap that insta-pic…

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