Image via ABC News
Just last year, a study found that selfies leads to an increased popularity on Instagram. The evolution of selfies has found its way into the presence of social media, and ultimately into our culture. What would we do without selfies? Selfies aren’t just taking pictures of yourself, but a way of life to express your lifestyle. Here are five different types of Selfie Takers, and what each one says about you.
THE GYM SELFIE
“Let me look as natural as possible while showing my best assets.”
Image via Men’s Fitness
This type of selfie lets others know how self-confident you are. Mirrors are literally your best friends. You are so secure with your body that you feel the need to show off your best assets, whether it be eyes, lips, body, or even your hair, to create the perfect gym selfie. (Even Chris Pratt said it in his Instagram post; his gym picture is kind of ‘douchey’.) Doesn’t it seem interesting that you feel the need to spend 15 minutes trying to find the perfect angle? For females, you must twist your body in five different directions and still find a way to face the mirror. For guys, you have it easy. You hold up your phone at the mirror and just shoot. But either male or female at the gym, you all think the same. Where should my hands go? How should I tilt my head? What amazes me is that this type of selfie taker will do whatever it takes to look good at a sweaty gym.
THE BED SELFIE
“Feeling lazy, but somehow I found the energy to lift up my phone.”
Image via Yahoo!
Why does it seem like lying on our beds can create the most inspiring images? In Lady Gaga’s bed selfie, she is still clearly inspired by her ‘little monsters’ at the break of dawn. This type of selfie taker emulates his/her personality of being low-maintenance. There are no crazy props or body assets to show off. The simplicity of lying in bed shows others that you care in expressing your fun, simple personality. There’s creativity in the type of angles you’re trying to achieve without trying too hard. However, we can never understand this selfie. The point of the bed selfie is to display your “bumming styling”, and yet you find the energy to lift your 2lb. phone.
THE FRESH FACE SELFIE/MAKEUP SELFIE
“I don’t need makeup to feel beautiful.” / “I look good, especially with all this of makeup.”
Image via Us Weekly
Allison Williams beautifully shows us two different types of beauty in the eye of the beholder. However, you can’t take both selfies at once. Either you define yourself as a woman who doesn’t need make up or you define yourself as someone who can’t live without it. On second thought, what defines beauty nowadays? A selfie. (But seriously, the lighting is the make or break in a selfie…every girl knows that!) Once you post a pic on Instagram, admit it, you always check how many likes you accumulate by the hour. Can this also be called the ‘beauty-o-meter’? The more likes, the more people think you’re beautiful (with or without makeup). The selfie actually dictates what you want to look like in real-life, in other words, this is how you want people to see you as…through a picture.
THE BODY PART SELFIE
“Jealous?”
Image via POPSUGAR
A selfie doesn’t always mean that your face has to be in it. It’s acceptable to think outside the box. This type of selfie is usually taken when you’re on vacation. Now, you’re just bragging the moment you snap the picture. What better way to show where you are than to take a picture? But of course, there’s a hidden rule that you need to be in the selfie…somehow. There’s always the simple, laid back picture of laying on the beach with your feet ever so slightly making their way into the picture frame. The picture shows a great perspective of the audience having the same “view” as you, as if they are right there in the picture. (Thanks Reese Witherspoon for your feet and this lovely Bahamas view.) The scenery is supposed to be the main focus on the selfie, but somehow why are your feet the only thing I’m looking at?
THE PET-LOVER SELFIE
“My adorable pet makes me look good.”
Image via Celebuzz
There’s no harm that your pet wants a little face time too. But of course, there are the casual bragging rights about the adorable-ness of your pet. Did you know that your pets are the #2 reason of how people show off? Whether you’re in bed with your one and only, or cuddling on the couch, there’s a desire to show your lovable side kick. (How cute is Ed Sheeran’s kitten?! It’s no wonder Ed has a sensitive side.) Whether your selfie is effortless or trying too hard to be likable, this selfie pretty much suggests: “My pet is adorable, so that must make me adorable, and now you can like me more.” Yes, I confess, I love looking at these undeniable cute creatures, but honestly, can your pet be the only one in the pic? This selfie also describes your obsessive need to be in a picture. Why would you want to take away the spotlight of your pet?
Which selfie team do you fall under? A quick scroll through our personal Instagram feeds may show us that we actually fall under all of these categories! Have a type of selfie that we forgot? Leave it in the comments and maybe we’ll add it to part 2!
Ready to take the steps to bring your brand or business to the next level on Instagram? Check out our blog, 4 Insta-Ways to Solidify Your Instagram Presence, for some great tips on building your following and engaging potential customers on Instagram.