Even before one calamity has fully subsided, a second one has erupted. I refer to humanity and this new obsession with selfies. It’s almost as if Facebook was not enough.
What is it about human beings that is making them so insecure, so self-obsessed and so self-ingratiating? Why must every action of theirs be captured on camera for posterity? What makes otherwise seemingly sane people smile like goofy fools into cameras and actually click themselves?
Or is it just – ha, ha, ha – so much fun?! As David Johansen (he’s an American musician for those not in the know) said: “I’m doing exactly what I want to do and I’m having fun doing it.”
Is this what people really want to do? Am I missing some larger point here? Is shooting a picture of yourself rollicking fun in some way? Am I just being one big party pooper? A spoilsport?
Selfies over sex, drugs and rock and roll? A selfie over that vodka shot? A selfie over jumping off a cliff with a bungee rope around your waist? Or a selfie while doing all of the above? Would it be twice the fun? Because if it is, I really have to consider stepping off the planet for a while.
Either way, I know I am in danger of being kicked right off – whether I choose to step off or not. Every time I express my dismay or disapproval over this trend, I lose a few friends and gain a few enemies. A few people grudgingly agree. Others nod although not in agreement – mostly just to avoid confrontation. The bug has bitten nearly everyone.
What distresses me even more is that Prime Ministers and presidents too have succumbed to this craze. From Narendra Modi to Barrack Obama, there have been a series of images of them taking selfies at all odd junctures. Call it old fashioned but I think there has to be a limit. There ought to be a modicum of dignity associated with the highest office. Say what you will about him but I can’t for the life of me imagine Manmohan Singh with a camera aimed at himself.
Then, I am also mortified that a whole industry seems to have sprung up to cater to this bizarre human need. On a recent trip to Japan, I simply could not believe how many selfie sticks or pods were being brandished around. More than once, I got knocked by one and smiled delightedly at the perpetrator as if it was something just “so cute”.
A Telegraph article I came across recently informed me that many individuals and companies have been cashing in on this craze. A lady called Kim Kardashian is actually publishing a book of her selfies called “Selfish”. The newspaper mentioned a company called GoPro, a wearable camera maker, who has come up with a range of accessories for shooting selfies. Courses to teach you How to do it right or even perfectly have sprung up, too. It appears people are willing to pay to improve their ‘selfie technique’.
There’s something else that has been baffling me. A question for those who can’t resist clicking themselves. Is it worth the risk? In January 2015, I recall three Indian students aged 20 to 22 died trying to take a ‘daredevil selfie’ close to an oncoming train. I was shocked at the incident but to my complete horror I found that this was far from being an exception. Wikipedia has compiled a list of similar accidents that have claimed lives. In 2014, there were 10 accidents, all triggered by this phenomenon resulting in around 10-12 deaths. Another 10-odd accidents, incidents and deaths relating to selfies have been recorded in 2015 till September.
One incident in August 2014 that particularly got me was a Polish couple who fell off a cliff in Portugal after crossing a safety barrier to take a selfie. The calamitous accident happened in the presence of their children who were at the scene. Heart-breaking to think what those children must have gone through. Don’t tell me it’s not a calamity. Because I don’t believe you.
