Once again, the selfie has proved that it is here to stay. Of course we‘ve heard presidents and the Pope use the word “˜selfie‘, but it seems now that even mega tech companies are (finally) formally recognizing the word and the impact it has had on the world.
Yesterday, Apple‘s App Store introduced a whole new section to it‘s app listings. The new section, called “˜Sharing Selfies‘, groups together apps that are best suited, or cater solely, for selfies.
Whether it‘s apps that are mostly used for selfie sharing, ala Snapchat and Shots, or even selfie editing apps, they are all aligned neatly in the new section.
The section is visible on both the mobile and desktop versions of the App Store.
Thus far, there are 12 different selfie-focused apps in the “˜Sharing Selfies‘ section. However, with the rise of “˜the selfie‘ and the unholy amount of teenagers taking selfies at any given moment, we are pretty sure that the selection will become broader by the day.
The selfie is somewhat of a phenomenon. A year ago, the word (and countless self portrait images) was only startint to rear it‘s head on the internet.
Fast-forward a few months, and the internet and all it‘s different corners, has become selfie central. The word has even been included in the revised addition of the Oxford Dictionary. In 2013, the word “˜selfie‘ was also crowned as Word of the Year‘.
Besides it starting out a trend, mostly among teenagers and young adults, the selfie has expanded it‘s reach, and by now, even your grandmother should know what a selfie is.
For celebrities, selfies have become a way of (promoting yourself) and communicating with fans. Just a few weeks ago, Ellen Degeneres‘ “˜selfie with countless Hollywood stars at the Oscars, shut down Twitter – although, to be fair, it wasn‘t as much a selfie in the traditional sense of the word.
Be that as it may, selfies are becoming as much part of everyday life as brushing your teeth. And with a mega company like Apple formally and publicly recognizing the word and it‘s function, it‘s definitely not going anywhere soon.
What are your thoughts on selfies? Are they harmless and fun or stupid and lame?
Source: Apple Insider
