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McLuhan has highlighted the theory that it is the “continuous embrace of our own technology in daily use that puts us in the Narcissus role of subliminal awareness and numbness in relation to these images of ourselves” (2013: 68). This act has become such a norm for many smartphone users that allows them empower not only themselves but those who view their selfies as well.

Essentially, the upward trend of selfies have proven to be just as empowering as they are disempowering. Other than political messages, “someone might feel a sense of psychological and social well-being after posting images of his less-than-perfect body for others to view, and getting positive reinforcement for that act” (Tiidenberg in Senft & Baym, 2015: 1597).

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Evidently, the act of exposing oneself online has led to the individual feeling vulnerable and disempowered. 

This occurs through online attacks in the form of bullying where one has become a target for scrutiny and malicious critique. It also occurs offline, in instances such as ‘revenge porn’, where personal photos are released online for the public to see, and sometimes the subject becomes a victim of stalking or physical abuse (Senft & Baym, 2015: 1598). 

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Females particularly have become scrutinised for the act of having numerous selfies on their social media profiles.

Rutledge explains that “selfies frequently trigger perceptions of self-indulgence or attention-seeking social dependence that raises the damned-if-you-do and damned-if-you-don’t spectre of either narcissism or very low self-esteem” (Senft & Baym, 2015: 1590). The idea of selfies inducing negative perceptions of the subject is emphasised here.

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Demi Lovato’s no make up selfie inspired internet users to be confident in their own skin.

McLuhan argues that this act of sharing ourselves with others, is to embrace who we are whilst remaining numb to the idea of narcissism. “To behold, use or perceive any extension of ourselves in technological form is necessarily to embrace it”. (2013: 68).

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Social Media influencers have recently started sharing before and after selfies of a posed photo. This is to inspire users to not become self-conscious when they think they see an aesthetically pleasing selfie.

This “social consciousness” presented to us as a cause of guilt-feelings” (McLuhan, 2013: 70) depicts the idea that the act of instant photo-sharing of ourselves can make us feel unsure of how comfortable we are with our appearance.

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There is the idea that those who post selfies do so to boost self-esteem because they are lacking intellectual abilities.

There is also the underlying issue that the high calibre of selfies being posted every day, has caused a rise in poor mental health. 

Senft and Baym mentions the case of an aspiring UK teen model, who attempted suicide because he believed his selfies were of low standard (2015: 1590).

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Senft and Baym have also pointed out that “conceptualizing selfies as only acts of vanity of narcissism” (2015: 1590). Selfies have been a representation of someone who is self-centred and conceited.

However, digital self-portraits have also been thought to “speak about what people believe themselves to be doing, and what response they are hoping to elicit” (2015: 1590). They can be an expression of one’s opinions and beliefs, with the hope of promoting social action and change.

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Popular social media platform Instagram, has become a new medium for self portraits. Jennifer Lee is the first person to post a photo of herself with the hashtag #selfie.

Today, there are approximately 318,465,742 photos on Instagram with the hashtag #selfie.

Senft and Baym noted that ‘selfie’ was Oxford Dictionaries’ 2013 Word of the Year (2015: 1588).

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A modern day icon Kim Kardashian has been dubbed the ‘queen of selfies’.

Being a star of her own reality TV Show, her life has been on display for the public to speculate. “With such awareness, the subliminal life, private and social, has been hoicked up into full view” (McLuhan, 2013 p. 70). 

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Year 1966, Buzz Aldrin.

Aldrin claimed this was the first ever space selfie. This extension of himself is showing the world who he is, what he has learned and that he wants to share that with the world. It is not for love of his own image, but allows him to appreciate what he has accomplished as an individual.

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Year 1925, Anatol Josepho.

Anatol Josepho is the inventor of the photo booth. A machine which allows individuals to take and print photographs of themselves. Although this form of self-portraiture is not shared and distributed for large audiences.

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Year 1839, Robert Cornelius, 'The first light Picture ever taken’.

Photography enthusiast Robert Cornelius took the image by removing the lens cap, running into the frame where he sat for a minute before replacing the lens cap again. This is considered to be the first ever selfie.

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Circa 1960.

“Most people don’t know that I invented the selfie” - Paul McCartney, 2013.

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Year 1960, Norman Rockwell, ‘Triple Self-Portrait’.

Did Rockwell create this painting because he wanted to look at himself, three times as much as he usually could? Like the digital selfie, this portrait is an ‘automation’, an extension of the self that tells the audience who the creator is, what they like or dislike and what they want to tell the world.

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The Greek myth of Narcissus.

It has become popular belief that Narcissus once seeing his own reflection, immediately fell in love with himself. Many people believe that those who share images of themselves for not only them but others to see, do so because they are narcissistic.

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Year 1940, Frida Khalo, ‘Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird’.

“Her image occupies the central picture plane in most of her work, as both a physical and a psychological study of herself” (Garber, 1992, pp. 42).

Khalo is known for her support of early feminism and evidently saw no complications with studying and appreciating oneself. She never conformed to social constructs at risk of her own happiness.

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Year 1895, Edward Munch, ‘Self-Portrait with Skeleton Arm’.

Photos taken of the self in the digital age would rarely be captioned ‘selfie with dog’ but rather an explanation of why they took the photo or how they were feeling when taking it. This information would be left to interpretation during times when self-portraits were the only expression of the self through an image of the artist, by the artist.