By Alessandra Brigitte Anonas | Correspondent
LONDON and the Philippines share the mark of being touted as selfie capitals: the latter by the International Business Times, the former by Time magazine.
It may be a distinction for those under the Queen but with Filipinos seeking to be the king of selfies, there should, at least, be guidelines, especially with deaths and injuries reported involving millennials taking self-portrait photographs.
Here’s some of the do’s:
- Selfies may be indulging in narcissism, which isn’t bad at all! If you’ve got it, flaunt it!
- Know your good angles. Your right side could look better than your left.
- Good lighting makes a big difference, and overexposed photos aren’t always great and may not be candidates for posting on social media.
- Background check. There could be some things behind you that can make the picture look bad. Beware of photobombers!
- Filters may enhance the quality of the selfie or the assets you want to highlight.
- Look presentable. Unless it’s meant to scare people, check if your mascara hasn’t run.
- Only upload photos that are good and visually palatable. You don’t want that wart or emerging pimple seen.
The don’ts:
- The apps may be fun to play with but, sometimes, it just makes you look weird or the photo too washed out.
- Flaunting your body doesn’t necessarily mean you have to let the world have a peek at your goods. Less isn’t always more.
- Too much makeup. Not only is it unadvisable in doing a selfie, it also applies to everyday use. Makeup is meant to enhance your looks, not cover them. Makeup is not a carpet.
- Situational and sensitivity. Accident and crime scenes are not the best backdrop.
- Taking a selfie in a public bathroom. When you’re in a place you’ve never been to before, taking a selfie while sitting down at the lobby or somewhere else in the establishment lets people see where you actually are.
- Hashtags aren’t always needed, let alone 10. A hashtag is a metadata tag that allows people to search for anything that carries it. If you have nothing to contribute to the subject, don’t hash that tag.
So the next time you take out your phone and/or your selfie stick, remember to check first before you click. It’s not a crime to love yourself but other people don’t have to love your mug. Never impose the horrors of reality: we already face that every day.
Image credits: Dennis D. Estopace