The selfie as a concept, simply a self-portrait photograph, has been around since the invention of the camera, but the "Selfie" as we know it is a new found social media and pop culture staple that has taken the world by storm. According to TheGuardian.com the "selfie" was coined by a young drunk Australian over a decade ago, but it's easy to say that Instagram and The Chainsmokers, with their song "Let Me Take A #Selfie" really launched the slang term into the limelight. Now the selfie is used and abused on the internet by all forms of social media users-- Kim K has even taken selfies to an all new literary heights.
And though the selfie is a bit of a joke of itself used ironically by many it actually taught me a lot about myself. Now before you roll your eyes, hear me out.
As a freshman in high school in the year 2011, I signed up for Instagram. I was pre pubescent, in the closet, and without a clue who I was or wanted to be. I was without an identity and social media largely became a vehicle for figuring a lot of that stuff out. I watched other LGBT people on twitter and Instagram exude confidence and I found fashion bloggers who showed me clothes as a form of expression. But most importantly the "selfie" taught me to love what I see in the mirror or in this case on the phone screen. I aimed to create a large social media presence, and at first all it was about was pleasing my few followers and only doing things to attract more of them. But as time went on and I began to take myself more seriously, took better care of myself, dressed in what I wanted to wear rather than what would get me more likes, it all went towards me finding myself as funny as it sounds. 
Here is me in 2011. This kid had no sense of style, poor music taste, and had literally no self-esteem. It's also evident that I wasn't much of a self portrait artist either. This picture was taken near the start of the most important self reconstruction I have undergone to date. I got 2 likes on this selfie guys. But those were two people who gave me a little bit of hope. That went on for a long time, I relied on other people's validation for a very long time and it gave me a sort of artificial confidence that manifested as a sad superiority complex. But through the years the better a selfie I took the more I liked what I was looking at, I started dressing better for pictures, doing my hair, I lost weight, all of these things out of complete vanity. But after the luster of likes faded and pleasing my audience was no longer a challenge I actually had to start liking myself-- because that fake validation wasn't cutting it anymore.
I decided that I was going to start living for myself rather than for my social media presence, and I use the word presence lightly; I had maybe 200 followers. I stopped listening to critics telling me I wasn't tall enough, handsome enough, manly enough, that was easy-- it was finally ceasing to tell myself that I wasn't good enough that was difficult. But I did. I learned to love myself and after that when I took a selfie I would look at the photo and literally smile because for once I didn't want to post it out of vanity but because every photo I took of myself felt like an advocation for self love. I looked at myself and was happy with what I saw. I found artistry in selfies, expression through portraiture. During this process I came out of the closet, cut out unhealthy people and practices, plotted my future, and in turn found myself.
Here is one of my more recent selfies. Taken about 5 years apart. I am an out and proud gay man, I have long hair, I paint my nails, I live in New York City and do what I love. I don't apologize, I don't assimilate, I don't question my instincts. I live for myself, I surround myself with people who I love and who love me. It was being online all the time, constantly showing my face to the internet that forced me to come to terms with who I am. Im happy. Thanks a lot to the selfie, as crazy as that sounds. Also thank you anonymous drunk Australian for kick starting all this.
