Selfie or groupie

Ongkingco

Any painter, sculptor, carpenter, photographer or architect who plans to work on some important project often starts with a study of what he intends to paint, carve, craft, shoot or design.

I do not find myself amongst any of the skills abovementioned, but as a priest, I’m curious about doing a study of a selfie or groupie. I personally find this global socio-cultural behavior — attributed to technological advances — to be so intriguingly revealing of some perspectives about the person.

Externally what can we observe in a selfie pose? A person composes himself, extends his hand or a stick holding the smartphone, he studies the image he sees of himself in the screen. He either tries to capture a “total selfie,” that is, focusing on his face. Or a “composed selfie” taken to remember a place or event with other friends.

But what internally composes a selfie shot? There are perhaps three angles to a selfie: a) how I want myself to come out; b) how I want others to see (‘Like’) my shot; c) share a snapshot information of what-where-how I’m doing at the moment.

The first element is a general experience we have: the personal take on who we are. The second is my desire to know how others think about me through my selfie. The third is a combination of the previous elements but with an intention of keeping and sharing our memorable experiences with others.

A groupie has all these elements, but unlike a selfie, it’s fostered by many persons. Thus, groupies help us to be less conscious about ourselves. We are not too focused on how ‘I want to come out’ or ‘how others will think and what they will say about me’. Even with an exotic background, a solo-selfie still lacks the life that the heartful smiles in a groupie can powerfully deliver. A groupie somehow expresses more things by projecting a selfie of hearts that a selfie cannot.

Finally, whether taking a selfie or a groupie, it is essential not to be worried about how people will react in their likes and comments. How we are seen or thought of by others is something beyond our control. What is important is that every selfie sincerely shares with others our most memorable moments. These are perhaps the reasons why groupies are better than selfies. Groupies for being more casual and spontaneous are more fun and personally fulfilling.