Is It Wrong to Post a Selfie on Facebook?

I've been hearing a lot of talk lately about the "selfie." For anyone that does not know, a selfie is basically a photo you take of yourself. Yes, some people pose in the mirror to take a selfie. Other people may pose with a group, but want to be in the photo as well, so the photographer aims the camera at his or herself and the group. For some reason, many selfies are in the bathroom (I suppose because the lighting is best in there).

Lately, all I have been hearing is negative commentary about the selfie. Well, you know what? Get over it! Why is everyone so anti-selfie now? People have been taking these so-called selfies for years, even before the age of digital cameras. Of course, now it is ever so much easier to take a selfie because of the digital age. You can take numerous photos with your phone or camera, and then choose only the best one to post online. Once that is posted, you can delete the less than flattering photos just like they never existed.

So many people now talk about the selfie as if it is a terrible thing. I personally don't think there is anything wrong with many of the selfies I've seen on Facebook, Twitter, and other sites. Sometimes you simply want a nice profile pic and when you want something done right, you have to do it yourself!

There is an assumption that people are vain if they take a lot of selfie photos. While that is true in some cases, this is not true for everyone. Some people just like to share with their Facebook friends a lot. They take photos of themselves when they lose a few pounds, buy a new shirt, or get a new haircut. If you are home alone and feel the need to share a photo of yourself, obviously you are going to have to take a selfie.

Part of the reason there are so many anti-selfie people out there is because of the selfies that go wrong. People are taking selfies during inappropriate situations, such as a funeral. While I am sure folks are mourning the death of grandma and not fully thinking straight at the time, that is still not a good excuse for taking a selfie.

Aside from being in the wrong place for "selfie" time, there are a number of other selfies that people find annoying. Due to this small amount of terrible selfies, it has given the selfie a bad name. Some examples of selfies everyone should avoid include:

• The naked or half naked selfie (save that one for your significant other!)
• The strange angle selfie (often focusing only on one good attribute - this is very popular on dating sites)
• The "I am asleep in bed" selfie (did you take that photo in your sleep?)
• The boob shot (taken from a high angle so viewers can see what a gal has to offer - also a popular photo on dating sites)
• The creepy alone in basement/dark room selfie (men do this a lot - for whatever reason, I do not know)
• The mirror and/or bathroom shot (yeah, it was cool back in 2004, but the days of MySpace and the selfie mirror shot are long gone)
• The "too many hashtags" selfie post (on Facebook or Twitter, no one wants to see 10 hashtags about your photo, such as #cutie #blueeyes #hotgirl #dateme #kisses #sexy....)
• The duck face (I don't think this needs an explanation... just stop.)

Sometimes selfies are awesome! At times, the lighting is just perfect, the hair is just right, and the angle of the camera is on point. Let's face it, that camera angle with the camera slightly above your head tilting down towards your face just a little... well, that is just perfect! This is especially the case if you happen to have a double chin... not that I am saying I do! I am just saying hypothetically speaking, that is a great camera angle for those with a double chin (or so I've heard).

So to all of you moms out there that frown upon your teenage sons friending girls on Facebook with "selfies" - I say think again. Give selfie girls a chance. To all you haters out there that mock the people with a lot of selfies, leave them alone. Perhaps they just have a lot of confidence in their appearance, and since when is confidence a bad thing?

To those of you (and you know who you are) that embrace the selfie, you keep taking those photos! Just don't take so many! You also might want to avoid some of those tired shots we see all the time and perhaps post some photos that are not selfies at all. Have someone else take a photo of you every now and then. Let's all do our part to improve the reputation of the selfie photo on Facebook and all other forms of social media.

Copyright ©2013 Jeannieinabottle