Selfies. We’re almost all guilty of at one time or another taking one. Whether it be to send an ugly face to your sister, an outfit to your BFF or to get the whole group in one photo to be shared on social media—we’ve pretty much all been there.
However, our selfie-obsessed culture has at times has gone too far (anyone remember Selfies at Funerals?) and it has ended up creating a bit of a love/hate relationship with selfies. So we asked 30 college women what they think of selfies, to see if millennials are as obsessed with selfies as we’re made out to be.
“I am a huge endorser of the selfie! In a world where there are so many critiques of women, the selfie is one way we can stand up and say ‘I am beautiful no matter the stereotype.’ It is a self empowering movement for our generation and hopefully for those to come as well!”
-Taylor, University of Cincinnati Class of 2016
“I almost never take selfies. Mainly because it takes so much time and effort to take one that I really like and then even if it is a 'good' selfie I feel so self conscience about posting it. Other people look at your likes vs. time ratio, and judge everything about that selfie and it's just not worth the stress. My self-worth is not measured by the amount of likes that my Instagram post has. I think that the selfie culture is seriously affecting people in a negative way. Overall, I really don't like it.”
-Sara, Xavier University Class of 2019
“I only take them when using Snapchat, generally, or when capturing a moment with a friend. Usually, I refer to any photographs I take of myself as "self portraits" because of the time I take to set them up (I like photography! I do not take self portraits often). 'Selfie-culture' is not necessarily a bad thing, in my opinion, but I think that anything that causes us to fixate on our own appearance can lead to an unhealthy fixation that could make us place more value on one's appearance than is necessary. However, a little self-love and documentation doesn't need to be harmful.”
-Kaitlyn, University of British Columbia Class of 2016
“I take them occasionally, but I never really post them. I don't really like when it goes up for everyone to see. It's like you're saying , ‘Hey, I think I'm hot! And here's proof!’”
-Alyssa, University of Pittsburgh Class of 2019
“I take selfies all the time and I love them! Honestly I think they are the only photos I take where I always look good because I'm in control so there are no awkward angles or bad lighting."
-Christina, Siena College Class of 2019
“I think selfies are great because if you feel pretty, you should absolutely be allowed to document it. However, I think selfies become problematic when girls have expectations of the results. A lot of people use so many filters and photo editing apps that the end product they share on social media is completely different than the original photo. If you compare an unedited selfie you took to one a celebrity posted on Instagram, you're not going to be happy.”
-Camille, Tulane University Class of 2017
“Of course I take selfies! But taking them and posting them are two different things. Like all things, I think selfies are okay in moderation. When looking at a girl's Instagram, the more frequent the selfies, the further back my eyes roll. Once in a while when you're feelin’ yourself is fine, but a daily reminder of what you look like up-close-and-personal is a little much.”
-Ray, Duke University Class of 2019
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“I take selfies for Snapchat! I always make weird faces and send the grossest pictures to my closest friends. I have only posted two selfies on Instagram, and they do get you more likes than most pictures. I think girls today are obsessed with social media and getting likes and selfies are an easy way to get them.”
-Lindsay, Fairfield University Class of 2018
“I am a Snapchat-selfie only kind of girl. I don't hate them…I'm just not a huge fan. I envy the girls that can take selfies and look beautiful and post them and get 102320 likes. I can honestly say I've never taken a selfie, even on Snapchat, that I thought was attractive. I think there is a fine line between selfies and too many selfies but maybe that's my jealousy coming through. I do think it's ridiculous that 9 year olds are putting on layers and layers of makeup, taking selfies and posting them on social media sites hoping for likes and comments. That is doing nothing for their self esteem.”
-Alyssa, St. Ambrose University Class of 2017
“I love taking selfies! I love looking back at a picture and seeing how happy I was or how good I looked! It's a very nice confidence booster for whenever I am feeling down. I don't appreciate the bashing of selfies or girls (and guys) who take them. It's not your life, so why do you care what I am doing on my phone and with my social media? I don't post a lot of selfies, but I love to see everyone else's pictures and it's their right to put it up there.”
-Alani, Northwestern University Class of 2018
“I took them a lot when I was younger and used editing tools before most people had Instagram and Twitter filters. I love them and post a lot of them now because they make me feel good about myself, and I like to show off when I look and feel good. I was even given the superlative, 'Selfie Queen,' in my sorority!”
-Brooklynn, Ohio University Class of 2017
“The photo album on my phone is probably 50% selfies. I have no shame in taking selfies. How else do I document the days when I actually bother to look like a human being? I think the problem is with the word itself. Prior to the word "selfie," self-photos existed and they were much less stigmatized.”
-Trisha, University of British Columbia Class of 2016
“My entire dorm room is covered by hundreds of selfies I've taken with my friends, celebs, parents, you name it and I have a selfie for it! While they make great decorations and reminders of countless memories, I've come to realize they make you miss out on the now, just so you can have a memory on paper. Rather than watching your favorite artist perform, you're snapping selfies of you having a good time to post on social media. Instead of interacting with the friends around you, you're worried about perfect angles and lighting so you can send a selfie to that cute boy you met at a party. I really, really love the good times that selfies remind me of, but they make me wonder about the good times I missed out on.”
-Lexi, Univeristy of Connecticut Class of 2018
“Personally, I don't usually take a lot of selfies. But that's mainly because I often feel judged when I do. People seem to really hate selfies. I don't see anything wrong with them though. They're not tearing apart the fabric of society; it's just a nice way to share a part of your day with friends. If you're feeling your look and want to save it for posterity, then go for it! In the future, you may or may not regret taking as many selfies as you do, but I can tell you if my grandmother had been taking selfies when she was my age, I'd be really excited to see them.”
-Hannah, Framingham State University Class of 2017
“I take selfies all the time. However, I don't post them continuously on social media like some people...that’s a bit narcissistic if you ask me.”
-Angela, Savannah College of Art & Design Class of 2016
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"I don't love them or hate them; I'd say I'm pretty neutral. I am not a fan of selfie culture as a whole, since I think it encourages us to give in to our own egos too much. With selfie sticks in particular, it takes away human connection because now we don't have to ask strangers to take photos of our squads; it's another way we're becoming distant from other people.”
-Jen, Messiah College Class of 2016
“I take them on occasion, more often with friends than by myself, but I definitely think that ‘selfie-culture’ has become way too excessive. Sure, they're harmless, but frankly speaking, people who take way too many and who take them just about anywhere look a bit stupid.”
-Joanne, New York University Class of 2018
“I hate that there's a stigma around taking a photo of yourself. My personal reason why I do it and enjoy doing it is because I like to be in control of my pictures and how they turn out. I've had body image issues in the past and I learned that if I'm in control of the picture, it helps me avoid hating on myself once I look at the picture later.”
-Rebekah, University of Houston Class of 2016
“I have a love-hate relationship with selfies and the ‘selfie-culture’ that has developed among young people in recent years... on the one hand, it's good that a selfie is confidence-boosting and fun to take, but on the other hand, selfies create a culture of excessive self-indulgence. The whole thing has become more about how hot you can look in a single shot, as opposed to boosting your overall self-esteem. But overall? They're great. A good selfie is priceless and absolutely necessary on all occasions.”
-Britt, University of Michigan Class of 2017
“Why take a selfie and see only yourself when you have the opportunity to see all the beautiful things around you? The nature, the people, the everything. We look in mirrors so incredibly often, it's time to turn our cameras outward.”
-Haleigh, Lasell College Class of 2017
“With Snapchat being my #2 main form of communication I'm taking selfies almost every day. I used to get really embarrassed about it. As someone who has and still does suffer from some serious body image and self confidence problems, it's sometimes really awful for me having to see my own face on the screen. But selfie culture has helped me start to turn that around and embrace the weird expressions, double chins, and good angles that go into taking all kinds of selfies. They're silly and fun and promote body and self-positivity, and I'm all for that.”
-Annie, Kenyon College Class of 2018
“I never take selfies and probably never will, but I don't hate them. I only subscribe to selfie culture that is humor-infused.”
-Katie, University of Massachusetts Amherst Class of 2017
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“I feel like they are very vain. People in my generation are so obsessed with constantly taking pictures of themselves. It is ridiculous. They waste so much time. I feel like wanting to see your face that much and wanting the world to like or comment on it is very self-centered.”
-Sierra, Case Western Reserve University Class of 2019
“I don't take selfies because I do not understand why I would want to constantly post pictures of myself on social media or just to have take up space on my phone. However, I do take real unattractive pictures of myself on other peoples phones when they are laying around so they can bask in all my glory whenever they please.”
-Samantha, University of New Haven Class of 2018
“I love taking selfies and, as a media major with a focus in visual culture, I can't help but look at them from an academic perspective. I think that selfies are great and even empowering because for decades it was so rare to have the opportunity to define and frame your personal image within the media unless you held a position of power and were likely a straight, white, cisgender male. Now the power to present yourself as you wish to be seen is (quite literally) in your hands. For women specifically this is very significant because throughout art history (and more recently, cinema history) women have been treated as something to be seen, not as people with agency, and this is a trend that seeps into our interactions with one another. The selfie also isn't anything new and I'm tired of it being treated as such. Human beings are fascinated with their own image and becoming acquainted to it helps us form a sense of ourselves at a very base level. Translation: selfies make us more confident. Besides, human beings have been doing it for decades—think of artists painting self-portraits! No one is going to decry a self-portrait by Kahlo or Van Gogh as being vain. A particular self-portrait I find interesting is Autoportrait by Jeanne Hébuterne in 1917. Although it was painted nearly a century ago, this painting legit looks like it was taken with a front camera because of the angle that the artist painted from.”
-Hannah, New York University Class of 2019
“I take selfies frequently, and my friends often tease me because I prefer to take them from a high angle. I try not to take them in inappropriate places, such as during dinner or a conversation, or in class. I'm definitely guilty of the cliché bathroom mirror selfies though. The only thing I have a problem with is selfie sticks. I believe if you want a picture from that distance you should just ask someone to take it for you. They're an example of our inability to trust or talk to other people.”
-Rebecca, University of Maryland Class of 2017
“Anyone in the millennial generation is lying if they say they haven't taken a selfie. We just do that sort of thing. Do I hate it? Yes. Why do I need a picture of just myself in front of something? Why can't I just take a picture of that something? Why do I have to be in the picture? To remember that I was there? No. Obviously if I have the picture of the something I was there. Pictures are great; selfies are annoying.”
-Lauren, St. Ambrose University Class of 2016
“I was never really into taking pictures of myself because I rarely end up with one that I love but as my involvement on my college campus grows I feel the need to take more selfies — alone or with friends — because they're a way of showing that I was here — at an awesome football game, at a formal, at something cool happening in NYC, and so on. Looking back to when I was an adolescent I wish I had taken more pictures of myself to document fun events. I don't want to be 30 and have close to no photographs of my college experience. I know some people are judging so hard when they see college girls huddled in a group taking selfies but I say props to those selfie-taking college students! This is our time to make some of the best memories of our lives and who is society to judge us for documenting those memories?
-Jasmin, Stony Brook University Class of 2018
I have never taken a selfie and have mixed feelings about them. I feel like they work to promote self-confidence and body-positive attitudes, but I think they also promote narcissism and can detract from living in the moment.
-Kaitlin, Chatham University Class of 2019
It is good practice to take good pictures. When you work with your angles, then you figure out what looks best for you. We practice everything else (sports, writing, reading, etc.), why not practice taking a good picture of yourself?! Throughout all of our lives, there are thousands of opportunities that come up for personal or professional reasons that you want to feel good about how you looked in a photo... I see no reason that it is wrong to practice such a skill.
-Nicole, Winona State University Class of 2016
