As a generational phenomena, selfies are an often debated topic. There are largely two sides to the argument; there are those that find them to be shallow, frivolous, even narcissistic, while others see them as harmless mediums of self-expression. What neither side seems to see is the selfie’s potential power. Photography is an artform that’s been around since roughly the 1800’s, and self portraits have existed long before that. Despite this, and despite the fact that a selfie is essentially a combination of these two arts, it seems always to be regarded with disdain. This is, perhaps because of the ease of access, or pure abundance of selfies. With the inception of social networking comes the profile picture, photo galleries, even communicating through photography through apps like snapchat; the photograph has become a cornerstone of communication in the age of the internet.

So why shouldn’t taking a selfie be regarded as a childish or narcissistic endeavor? What makes something so ubiquitous significant enough to call powerful, or even to talk about? Throughout the majority of global history the ability to depict a human being has been directly correlated to power. In Medieval Europe only the rich could afford to be patrons, so the majority of their art depicts nobility; even if peasants are pictured, it’s the rich that decide how.

The Colonial Era brought about a dark time in global history. From Eurocentrism to Orientalism, representation of human beings was largely controlled by a relatively small group. For hundreds of years the political majority have controlled the means through which political minorities are represented, until now, that is. With the selfie every person has the ability to take control of how they are represented, how they’re seen. Privilege and power are significant, and there are a lot of issues with representation in the media and arts, even still, but with little more than a camera, a cell phone or a laptop everyone can choose how they’re seen. That seems pretty powerful.