R7

My Selfies

The world of selfies is definitely a performance. We post photos of ourselves on social media to portray aspects of ourselves that we want others to notice. When I was younger I loved to take and post selfies for no reason other than it was a new thing that people were doing. Our generation uses selfies to send a message to the people that see them. Those messages could be something like "Hey, look at my new haircut!" or simply "I look really good today and want everyone to see". Now that I'm older I don't like to share my entire life on social media so I don't post much anymore. Lately my selfie postings have been few and far between because I usually only post pictures when I go out or during a special occasion. I did my best to choose three selfies that looked different and sent a different message.

This is what the majority of my selfies look like: my hair and makeup are done, and I'm using a Snapchat filter (I also tend to make the same face in every picture). From this picture one can assume that I am female and identify as such because of my makeup and clothing choices. One can also assume that I am African American because of my skin tone, hair texture and facial features. What you can't see in this picture is the fact that I only had the motivation to do my makeup because I didn't have to go to class until one o'clock in the afternoon.

This isn't a selfie that I posted on social media. I took this and sent it to a friend to show that I had attempted to straighten my hair. From my shirt it is clear that I am a college student. The peace sign in front of my face is partly an attempt to be cheeky but also a way to cover my face because I'm not wearing any makeup.

This last selfie is one of me and my younger sister. I also haven't posted this on social media either but I saved it because it was taken on her 16th birthday. From this picture you may be able to assume that we are of middle class because we are dressed a little fancier than normal. But what you wouldn't be able to tell is that we were on our way to New York to see "Matilda" on Broadway.

 "Selfie culture" is fascinating to me because you can pick and choose what aspects of yourself you want to share with the world through a single picture. For instance, in none of my selfies could you assume what my sexual identity was. If I had chosen a selfie with me and my boyfriend you might be able to guess my sexuality but you would not know for sure unless I choose to share it with the world.