Selfie Ethos Analysis

Zach Fingerhut

Dr. Butts

WRI 111:  Digital Composition and Future Rhetoric

October 3, 2014

Selfie Ethos Analysis

Believe it or not, the word ‘selfie’ is a term that originated in the mid-nineteenth century by a man named Robert Cornelius.  Robert was one of the first people to produce an image of himself through a slow photographic process.  He took the image by uncovering the lens cap of his camera and then running into the shot where he sat for a minute before covering up the lens again.  A selfie refers to “a picture that one has taken of oneself, typically taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website” (Oxford Dictionary).  Today, this word has become a lot more popular with the younger generation as they begin to navigate through the social media world.  Selfies are a way of capturing a single moment in a person’s life, yet they may reveal more than one aspect of that individual.

            The image that I have decided to use has more sentimental value to me than an ordinary selfie.  It is a picture of me during one of my first training sessions as a Wake Forest soccer player.  The shot captures me looking intently with anticipation as I am about to receive a pass.  Personally, this image is significant to me because it is a culmination of all of my hard work and perseverance to get to this point.  When I decided to designate this photo as my new Facebook profile picture, I chose not to apply any additional filters to the image because I wanted to maintain the originality of the photo.  I did, however, crop the image to exhibit myself as the focal point of the picture.  While I am the main focus of this selfie, the training equipment in the background and the uniform I am wearing imparts that I am in a group training session and that I am part of a team.  The apparel indicates to the audience that I am an accomplished soccer player.  The dark grey Wake Forest jersey, black shorts, black knee-length socks, and vibrant neon cleats resemble the training gear seen on an elite athlete.  The cones and flagpole in the background also add to the framework of the photo by making it appear legitimate.  The dim light of the sky shows that this selfie was taken during an early morning training session.  This same day, a tweet on the Wake Forest Men’s Soccer timeline stated, “Another great morning for training.  #GoDeacs”  (Wake Men’s Soccer)

            This particular depiction of me is trying to convey that I am a dedicated athlete who aspires to move onto the next level.  When looking at the picture, one can see the focus and determination on my face.  Even though one might sense the intensity of the training session, my facial expression reveals my passion for the game.  The intent of this selfie is to portray a student-athlete working hard early in the morning to improve his game, as I have done for so many years of my life.  It would be apparent to anyone who sees this picture that athletes commit hours each day to their passion.

            Many professional athletes and accomplished individuals will post images of themselves on social media websites.  This new trend allows their followers to get a glimpse into their lives.  Facebook enables us to present ourselves through photos, timelines, and commentary, as well as through personal information, such as date of birth, hometown, and place of education.  Selfies are often seen on a person’s Facebook page.  I chose to use this selfie as my most recent Facebook profile picture.  People who view my page might misinterpret my intention, especially those who do not know me well.  In this scenario, the societal ethos of my selfie can be different from the ethos I was hoping to create.

            It can be argued that our society, especially our generation, has become self-absorbed and egocentric.  While some selfies might have a special significance to an individual, most selfies are just photos capturing a single moment in time and are of little or no interest to most other people.  While the selfie I chose as my Facebook profile picture is important to me, its significance may be glossed over by people who are scrolling through Facebook and are not taking the time to reflect on the photo.  We live in an increasingly narcissistic, yet insecure society and selfies are a reflection of this trend.  “ ‘There are very few people who are completely confident,’ said cultural studies expert Jon Stratton.  ‘It's people looking for their friends to confirm they look good. You want that reassurance, we all want people to say positive things about us.’ ” (Bunbury Mail)

            There is the potential for selfies to expose too much of one’s self.  Young people might not recognize that a selfie can be inappropriate, or understand that once an image is posted, it cannot be deleted from the internet.  Additionally, a selfie taken quickly may contain images that the photographer did not intend to capture, and could accidently reveal too much about the person or other people or objects in the background.  Posting a selfie makes an individual vulnerable to misinterpretation, and even exploitation.  While the intent is usually fun and innocent, once a selfie is posted on the web, it takes on an ethos of anyone who views it.  Selfies have advanced since Robert Cornelius’s time by becoming simpler to take photos that are more accessible to the public.  As our society develops more technology for instant photographing and displaying of selfies, their usage will continue to evolve.

Works Cited

McHugh, Jillian. "'Selfies' Just as Much for the Insecure as Show-offs." Bunbury Mail 13 Apr. 2013. Fairfax Regional Media. Web. 13 Oct. 2014. <http://www.bunburymail.com.au/story/1407035/selfies-just-as-much-for-the-insecure-as-show-offs/>.

(Wake Men’s Soccer).  “Another great morning for training.  #GoDeacs” 14 August 2014, 8:53 a.m. Tweet.