“Guys… I really wish we had a selfie stick!”
A couple of days ago at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., I overheard a group of teenage girls saying.
In case you have been living under a rock for the past year, this “selfie stick phenomenon” has been taken to new heights (literally).
Although the selfie sticks have been around for about a year now, the recent ban at many attractions has garnered even more attention towards the phenomenon.
When I think of a selfie stick, I will always picture this:
I think this picture went viral a couple of years ago. When I saw it, I burst out laughing. What kind of contraption was this? Why wouldn’t this woman just hold out her camera with her hand and take a picture?
Little did I know that this idea would soon turn into a lucrative invention. For the low price of $6 to the steeper price of $60, you can purchase this metal rod that holds your phone too a distance for maximum selfie space and takes a picture with a Bluetooth button.
Should you buy a selfie stick?
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Do you have short arms?
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Do you want to take a group picture?
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Are you too shy to ask a stranger to take a picture of you?
If you answered YES to any of these, then the selfie stick is for you! And don’t worry, this new phenomenon has slightly changed the stigma that comes along with taking selfies.
Many people assume that people who take selfies are narcissistic and self-centered because all they want is a picture of themselves. However, using a selfie stick has become somewhat socially acceptable. You can take really cool group shots or take better angle shots of a landscape that stretches for miles.
It’s become less of “OMG look at her, she’s taking a selfie…” and more of “I wish I had a selfie stick so we could take a class pic!”
While I do think the selfie stick phenomenon is kind of cool and I might just go out and buy one for myself, it also adds to the characterization that our generation relies too much on technology. Why spend all your time worrying about capturing a moment through the lens of your snazzy new iPhone when you can just be in the moment and appreciate where you are and who you’re with?
“I went to Disney World and all you could see for miles were selfie sticks,” said Katie Hein, a sophomore at the University of Maryland. “It made me sad.”
Disney World has since banned selfie sticks on all of its attractions, but still allows them around the rest of their theme parks.
I think it’s safe to say that reactions towards this phenomenon are mixed.
“Okay to be fair, selfie sticks are great in places where there’s a good chance someone will start running with your phone when you ask them to take a pic of you,” said Ali Sanz, a junior at the University of Maryland.
At the end of the day, whether you think selfie sticks are the coolest things since sliced bread, or they annoy the crap out of you, use them in moderation… and don’t knock it ‘til you try it.