Snap, click, flash! Strike a pose as the sound of the camera shutter echoes in the air, capturing the perfect moment. In a world filled with self-expression and digital connectivity, there's a phenomenon that has taken over our screens, one snapshot at a time: selfies. Selfies have become a part of modern culture, capturing moments both mundane and monumental. Anyone who has a camera within their grasp, from celebrities to teenagers, and even our next-door neighbor, has undoubtedly taken a selfie before. Love it or hate it, the art that is capturing a self-portrait has transformed how we document our lives, which begs the question: How did we get here?
Starting all the way back in 1839, a man named Robert Cornelius took the world's first selfie in his backyard. However, during that time, the term "selfie" had not yet been coined. While it embodied the concept of a selfie with the person in the photo taking a picture of himself, it is referred to as a self-portrait, but it is, nevertheless, still a selfie. What makes this achievement even more remarkable is the limited technology available at the time. Instead of a simple click of a button, Cornelius had to work with the daguerreotype camera, which required a meticulous process that included removing the lens, quickly positioning himself in the frame, and holding his pose for several minutes until the exposure was complete.
After the first selfie, many others were inspired and took their own spin on it. In 1909, Joseph Byron was inspired by Cornelius and decided to capture a selfie of his own on a roof. Then, 11 years after that, Byron took it a step further and captured the world's first group selfie, now famously known as the "groufie," featuring himself and his friends in the same spot where Byron’s selfie was first taken. Another iconic moment in selfie history occurred in 1914 when Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna took a mirror selfie to send to her friend. This act not only made her the first person to take a selfie in front of a mirror but also marked her as one of the first teenagers to engage in its art. The selfie sensation even skyrocketed to outer space when astronaut Buzz Aldrin decided to capture the moment by being the first person to take a selfie in outer space in 1966—all while on space mission Gemini 12.
From then on, the selfie craze continued to gain momentum, especially with the invention of the Polaroid camera in the 1970s. The instant gratification provided by Polaroids made selfies even more appealing and accessible to the masses. However, it was in 1999 that a significant milestone in the evolution of selfies occurred with the introduction of the Kyocera Visual Phone VP-210, the world's first phone to feature a front-facing camera. The Kyocera VP-210 revolutionized the way we took selfies, allowing users to see themselves on the screen while capturing photos. This groundbreaking innovation transformed the way people interacted with their phones and laid the foundation for the selfie culture that would follow.
Despite the presence of front-facing cameras, it wasn't until September 2002 that the term "selfie" officially came into play. The term originated from a slightly comical incident involving a tipsy Australian named Nathan Hope. With a hurt lip, this merry individual snapped a selfie and shared it online, accompanied by the caption "...sorry about the focus, it was a selfie." Little did Hope know that this whimsical post would go on to popularize the term, encapsulating the act of taking self-portraits that will now and forever be known as selfies.
As technology continues to advance, so too will the world of selfies. Front-facing cameras have become a standard feature in smartphones with various apps and filters to provide endless creative possibilities for capturing the perfect selfie. Providing the perfect avenue for people to showcase their selfies and share them with friends, family, and even the world at large, it's no wonder that social media platforms played a pivotal role in propelling the selfie trend to new heights. Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat have become hubs for selfie enthusiasts to upload their latest captures with the ability to instantly share them with a global audience. These apps opened up new means for self-expression and validation with likes, comments, and shares fueling the desire to capture and share even more captivating selfies.
The rise of social media influencers further fueled the selfie phenomenon. Creators and influencers, with their large followings and carefully curated feeds, set trends, popularized poses, and inspired others to perfect their selfie game with different ways of taking a selfie. From the iconic duck face and peace sign for a more fun and quirky picture to using new features for the “0.5 selfie” and even utilizing the back camera for a unique perspective, people are constantly inventing new poses, expressions, and trends to make our selfies stand out in the virtual crowd.
From its humble beginnings as a self-portrait back in 1839 to becoming a global phenomenon, the selfie shows no signs of slowing down as people from all around the world continue to use it to document their lives. Whether capturing a striking new hairstyle or a breathtaking vacation vista, this trend has undeniably become a cornerstone of social media—and with millions of people snapping them daily, it is without a doubt that selfies are here to stay.