A picture can tell a thousand words and create memories that may otherwise be lost in the past. Why should we stop and think before taking a photograph? Or worry about the opinions of others when crowding in with our friends and pouting for a selfie? It's the modern day we snap everything and social media whether you love it or loathe it isn't going anywhere.
Over the last decade we've seen Facebook reach it's milestone 10th birthday, creating a new 'social networking world' for sites such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumbler, Blogger and everybody's favourite photo-sharing app Instagram, this has encouraged a new way of communicating, sharing our experiences and for many people even establishing careers solely through the power of the social network.
In 2013 the word 'Selfie' even made it into the Oxford English Dictionary defined as
'a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website'
So if taking a selfie was really such a bad thing, why do so many of us do it?
I know why I do it... I love creativity and I adore fashion and it's ever changing mood, I thrive on the enjoyment of not just putting together my own look but also seeing what everybody else is doing with there's. It's a great way of finding out 'what's new' and collecting wardrobe inspiration from who you follow and your 'followers'. It's NOT at all about thinking you're better looking than someone else or even about fabricating a life that doesn't exist. The people who think it is about that... You are norrowminded and you're probably boring too.
It's really quite simple and as meaningful as a crumpled old photograph from the 1940's it's about capturing the moment. The feeling you get when you stumble across a photograph taken at an event/occasion/celebration you'd forgotten about with friends you may have lost touch with is just simply amazing... Looking back at what you wore and thinking why did I wear that? Is also fun too.
So I'm guilty of a 'drunk selfie' or two and you're lying if you say you're not. I don't go out and spend the whole night taking pictures as some might want to suggest but how else are we going to reminisce when our memory's start to fade. I'm not just talking about when you've consumed a little bit too much the night before and the hangovers turning the night into a blank but then you're older and all you may have to keep you going are the memory's.
For me the documenting of my wardrobe through the 'fashion networks' popular 'outfit of the day' or #OOTD as it is widely recognised is what I and many others worldwide enjoy, it's completely harmless to anybody else and by many people miss-judged for what it really is... Which is an appreciation of fashion, fun, and personal style.
Even though I myself get sick of the ridiculousness we see on social networking sites with the latest 'Neknomination' at the forefront of it at the moment, we need to embrace the fact that social networking originated from wanting to bring people together, share our experiences and what we love and as a result of that it's become one of the most powerful and effective business tools for the creative industries and our futures not just in fashion but all industries and our personal lives also.
It's shocks me when I see that businesses and especially PR agencies are not yet using social media to get themselves 'out there' and drive success... It's the most powerful tool in the world and it's FREE! (You can't say that about much now can you)
So the next time you see me or somebody else post a 'SELFIE' and you want to put them down, as I have been for posting about something they love and they don't mind sharing with the world... F**k you! If you don't want to see it delete me and if you can't beat them join them.
Throwback Thursday anyone?
Happy Snapping.
Words Nathalie Dawe
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