Is mobile phone photography a boon or a vile malediction?
While it is true that digital photography has dramatically changed our lives, one must ask, is it worth it? In this section, we will explore mobile phone photography, specifically selfies. Although photos are unparalleled historical records, selfies don’t fit into that category very well. After all, a selfie is merely a self-portrait (with an ‘interesting’ background). Many selfie-takers, in pursuit of an ‘interesting’ background, have put themselves in perilous circumstances, sometimes dying in the process. Moreover, this obsession can also be infuriating to bystanders and to the friends and families of those who stop to take a selfie every five seconds. This selfie craze could also be the first step towards narcissism.
The situation has deteriorated to the point that the inventor of digital photography himself has said that he almost wishes he had not invented it.
In a nutshell, selfies are nothing but a parasitic growth riding on the back of digital photography in general and tarnishing the reputation of something that would otherwise have been the invention of the century.
