“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” ~~ Romans 12:3 (NIV)
Lately I’ve been seeing this word “selfie” all around social media. I’ve seen it so much lately I decided to take a peek at what the word meant. So I typed the word into Google and was glad to see WikipediA popped up. So, here’s the definition:
“Selfie–A selfie is a type of self-portrait photograph, typically taken with a hand-held digital camera or camera phone. Selfies are often associated with social networking. In the Korean entertainment industry the word selca (short for “self camera”) means photos taken of oneself.[1][2][3] They are often casual, are typically taken either with a camera held at arm’s length or in a mirror, and typically include either only the photographer or the photographer and as many people as can be in focus. Selfies taken that involve multiple people are known as “group selfies”. In August 2013 the Guardian produced a film series titled Thinkfluencer[4] exploring selfie exposure in the UK. Denoting a pathological condition: Selfieism. The term ‘selfie’ originated in Australia in 2002 on an internet forum.”
Seems harmful enough, but there was more about the word than just the definition. I was more alarmed by the things it said under “popularity” and even more so under the title “gender roles, sexuality, and privacy.” Intrigued? Then I think you should head on over to this link on WikipediA: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selfie
Did you know that the word “selfie” had become so commonplace, that in November of 2013, the word “selfie” was announced as word of the year? Did you know there was a word of the year? I had no clue until I read all about this one little word.
This is what concerns me about the word “selfie.” The first time I saw it, I thought, oh, just a shorter term “for all about me.” In fact, to be honest, I saw “selfish.” In a world that’s been brought up to look out for yourself, take care of number 1, and it’s all about me and what I want, I think “selfie” fits rights in…a little too comfortably. Sure, there’s no harm in the majority of “selfies.” But the “selfies” that concern me are those posted with a motive. Have you ever asked yourself before you posted; what’s my motive behind this photo? Am I being prideful of my body? Am I trying to attract someone because I’m so desperate for attention that I’ll let my body parts be the center of attention? Am I seeking approval from others? Am I hoping to make someone jealous? If I’m to be honest, I’m guilty of….well….all of them. How about you?
We’re warned by God time and time again about the sin of pride and sexual immorality. “Selfies” can be used for good or evil, just like anything else. We have power in what we post, but I think more often than not, we have more power in what we don’t post.
Blessed to be Broken 
How true…and sad…I am concerned about the teen girls who pose selfies and then even air brush them!! They don’t think they are attractive enough…and the poses…oh my! Where have we taken our self image!
Great post Trish! It really is sad to see how this generation is. Sometimes one has to wonder if anyone likes themselves just the way they are.
I really like what you guys are usually up too.
Such clever work and reporting! Keep up the amazing works
guys I’ve added you guys to our blogroll.