THE SELFIE AND CROSS

CULTURE
COMMUNICATION
An Essay

1. Introduction:
The Oxford dictionary defines the word Selfie as A photograph that one has taken of
oneself, typically one taken with a smart phone or webcam and shared via social media:
(Oxford, 2015). Selfie is thus, as defined by Oxford as a photograph clicked by someone of
themselves and posted on a social media site such as Twitter, Facebook or Instagram etc.
Selfie(s) are becoming quite a rage nowadays, from common men and women to celebrities
and even some heads of states posting selfies of themselves on social media networks.
As Mcluhan and the visual architect Quentin Fiore demonstrate to us in The Medium
is the Massage (through pictures of circuit sheets, phonographs, books, film stills, daily paper
clippings, mirrors, apparel, railroad tracks, and so forth.), media are constantly encapsulated,
and, in that capacity, really obliged and particular. (Levin, 2014) One of the most punctual
advanced models of media, Newton created the idea of the aether to portray the components
behind any collaboration at a separation. (Levin, 2014)As the name infers, Newton's aether
was initially developed as a methods for clarifying both his explores different avenues
regarding the visual spectra of light and his translation of how light empowers sight the
impression of articles at an evacuate. In doing along these lines, it finished his entirely causal,
material understanding of the universe by working as an universal open medium. (Levin,
2014)
2. Selfie in todays Digital Era:
Newton's hypothesis of the aether conflates the solitary and plural essences of
medium and media through the equivalency of an universal substrate of intuitiveness with the
different media (electromagnetic spectra Newton's waves and beams of light) through
which the aether is deductively noticeable and subject to trial confirmation and numerical
work. (Levin, 2014) The work of mid-century data scholars, for example, Claude Shannon,

shows a comparable inclination to conflate the plural and particular implications of media
and medium. Nonetheless, while Newton's hypothesis of the aether augmented visual media
by making an interpretation of them into the primary medium of association, Shannon
minimized media majority trying to make universal standards for electronic telecom. (Levin,
2014)
This minimization takes the type of an auxiliary interpretation, from media into signs,
by method for which the message is stripped of its media intentions so it may be transmitted
and got electronically. (Levin, 2014) Shannon accordingly endeavors to make a sort of
microcosmic Newtonian aether, an universal medium of correspondence contrived through
methods of encoding and unraveling that evacuate media-particular data (the messages of
other media) from the sign. Doing so permits Shannon to create a numerical model for the
transmission of exposed "data," (Levin, 2014) inside particular points of confinement of
velocity (bit-rates) and exactness (noise).
While work by figures, for example, Shannon has demonstrated instrumental to the
usage and on-going advancement of huge scale data foundations (like the web), the
requirement on the performative parameters of interchanges innovations displays a propensity
towards media solipsism in which the intentions of content, sound, picture and film advances
are subsumed by the interpretation of media-messages into signs suitable for digital
transmission. (Levin, 2014) This inclination is plainly communicated by Warren Weaver in
first experience with Shannon's Mathematical Theory of Communication, in his claim that
from the viewpoint of correspondences hypothesis the English dialect is half repetitive a
claim that, in lieu of the remarkably truncated types of English produced for contemporary
digital correspondence, may appear an under-estimation. (Levin, 2014) The outcome is a
general subversion of media, and a multiplication of arrangements (doc, mp3, jpg, pdf, mpeg,
avi, and so forth.), (Levin, 2014) created to meet the execution prerequisites of squeezing,

data-trade rates, RAM and the stipulations of digital bases for data transmission.8 Data now
supplant, in numerous occurrences, the nuanced separations in significance between media,
with the web taking on the position of Newton's luminiferous aether, and standing as an
universal standard of correspondence.
3. Ethnography:
Running counter to the media reduction of the physical sciences, common scholars,
antiquarians, and later researcher kept up the first Latin separation in the middle of medium
and media. This can be seen in the way that French material and common thinkers
consolidated Newton's hypothesis of the aether into their own oeuvres. (Hine, n.d)The French
interpretation of aether is milieu, a term used to depict any particular material substrate. This
definition is especially obvious in the work of Jean-Baptist Lamarck, who utilized it to depict
how physical situations (milieus) influence morphogenetic change in living organisms.
For Lamarck, a milieu spoke to an interesting physical substance (water, air, light), the
interminable workings of which advise the horrible morphological attributes of animals.
(Hine, n.d)In Lamarck's hypothesis of development, formative adjustments are dependably
physically and ecologically obliged and particular to specific milieus.10 According to
Lamarck's evolutionary model, the exceptional qualities procured by a living being as a result
of its imbrications inside specific milieus may be exchanged to that creature's offspring, a
methodology known as epigenesist. (Hine, n.d)
This model of milieu was received and reached out by Ernst Haeckel in his meaning
of "biology." (Hine, n.d) Haeckel authored the term to incorporate not just the material
influences of ecological media (like water, light and air), additionally the different plant,
creature and land datum (temperature, geography, and so on.), all of which encroach upon the
morphological verbalization and survival of living organic entities. In Haeckel's terms, the

network of drives that include a living being's biology characterize the conditions to which
that life form is "adapted." As such, nature outlines the formational connecting of media
influencing natural development through their tireless impact. (Hine, n.d)
Haeckel's consolidation of the Lamarckian model of milieus joins frameworks of
Darwinian choice with those of epigenesist. (Hine, n.d)Generally, Haeckel contended for a
crossover evolutionary model, in which the randomness of natural emphasis portrayed by
Darwin is educated by the submersion of an organic entity (or gathering of living beings)
inside settled associational and material systems. Haeckel's hypothesis of nature served to
depict the transformational strengths bending natural development. (Hine, n.d)
Haeckel acquainted a second idea with record for the constancy of structure after
some time the biogenetic law. (Hine, n.d) In its least difficult definition, this law expresses
that ontogeny (the current morphology of a life form) summarizes phylogeny (the recorded
manifestations of the phylum). Haeckel showed this law through an embryonic succession, in
which each one phase of growth is checked by an alternate set of traits, until the current
morphology is attained to (Hine, n.d). This gestational procedure serves as a restricting
component for morphological deviation, even as the different and variable powers of
environment work towards expanded formal separation. Haeckel's speculations of nature and
restatement in this way represent both the chronicled coherence of structure spoke to by an
organic entity's phylogeny, and the unobtrusive varieties revealed by a creature's ontogeny
(developing structure). While the particulars of Haeckel's speculations have not survived the
development of the natural sciences, the basic compels that he depicted are still an essential
part of contemporary evolutionary and environmental science. At the hereditary level, the
genome assigns the inborn natural constraints illuminating an organic entity's ability for
transformation or advancement; it serves as both a variable lattice taking into consideration
conceivable evolutionary transfiguration and as a truly created arrangement of restatement

binds life forms to their hereditary legacy. Alternately, ecologies, which portray systems of
affiliation going from terrible local attributes, for example, atmosphere, geography and
geology, to close biotic groups, for example, those characterized by sustenance connections,
give the ecological connection to potential future adjustment, as obliged by frameworks of
Darwinian rivalry. (Hine, n.d)
Connected to what may be known as the mechanical phylum, Haeckel's ideas of
biological advancement and hereditary reiteration help portray both the natural chronicled
inactivity of media, and their ability for development. (Hine, n.d)Accordingly, the
evolutionary capability of any medium is characterized by horde variables natural to the
medium all things considered, including its material organization, fundamental hierarchical
standard and/or one of a kind usefulness. Notwithstanding these characteristic evolutionary
parameters are the outward compels of media ecologies, for example, material accessibility,
the headway or elimination of specific types of assembling, the rise of contending or
reciprocal media ideal models and the improvement and support of essential frameworks.
The same may be said of media antiques, in the same way as the selfie, whose late
wealth speaks to a conversion of new media (cell phones and tablets), all the more spatially
disseminated and speedier remote systems and professed social proclivities towards online
representation toward oneself and development. The later have been energized through the
ubiquity of interpersonal interaction destinations like Facebook and Twitter and the
application ecologies that undeniably help them. (Hine, n.d) Yet, even as selfies are enmeshed
inside rising ideal models, such versatile figuring and person to person communication, they
likewise display a propensity towards innovative and tasteful restatement, including the
utilization of channels that copy more seasoned photographic advances or the repeat of
entrenched and mainstream stylish tropes. This reassertion of customary structures not just

retards the evolutionary advancement of the Selfie, additionally educates the development of
new ideal models.

4. Netnography:
As unrealistic as it may appear, selfies help reinforce companionships. Selfies aren't
fundamentally some unusual rage or a viral pattern among young people. While they might in
some cases simply be a type of young vanity, it is accepted that they are vital in the digital
age as a manifestation of correspondence, proclamation toward oneself and documentation.
The new social world is on the web. Web infiltration rates proceed with their
worldwide ascension. (Kozinets, 2010)Sensibly, we can say that over a billion individuals
now take an interest in different types of social networking. We are amidst an innovation
drove mutual upheaval.
The suggestions for advertisers, showcasing scientists, and directors of all stripes are
boundless. Customers are offering assorted types of feelings and data with one another about
amazing panoply of items, retailers, and brands. (Kozinets, 2010) The online environment
offers us about boundless access to customer to-purchaser interchanges that are: Applicable
and itemized. Got in an inconspicuous way, and realistic in an opportune, liable, and
productive way. This data is crude. It is true. (Kozinets, 2010)Advertisers have reacted by
starting to incorporate online networking with their showcasing plans, their publicizing and
special fights. However as far as purchaser knowledge, showcasing is overwhelmed by the
same old strategies. The move to manufacture rich understanding with the cornucopia of
online buyer data is simply starting.

Connected to business and showcasing needs, netnography constructs profound

customer bits of knowledge that give: All-grasping depictions of the commercial center
sections, item groupings, trait sets Realistic perception of online correspondence classes,
patterns, images, pictures Social understandings of buyer decision influencers, (Kozinets,
2010) adopters, WOM properties Natural perspectives of brand importance deciphering bona
fide purchaser dialect and terms, and in addition visual and varying media investigation
Embedded disclosures of purchaser development situated in lead client, and innovativeness
Contrast netnography with the center gathering or study data commanding the universe of
customer knowledge research. Focus gatherings offer point by point and significant data. In
any case they are inspired, prominent and totally manufactured. (Kozinets, 2010)
The one-time bunch progresses are manufactured and bizarre. (Kozinets,
2010)Surveys are simulated, prominent, and evoked. (Kozinets, 2010)We frequently have no
chance to get of knowing whether our review questions are significant to the purchasers'
reality. Both center gatherings and studies can be costly. Think about that as a national set of
center gatherings can undoubtedly run in the many thousands.
Netnography is the Marketer's Secret Weapon How Social Media Understanding
Drives Innovation. There are right now just a handful of far-located organizations that lead
netnography. (Kozinets, 2010) Despite the fact that it is presently all inclusive secured in the
scholastic universe of shopper and showcasing research, the very idea of online ethnography
is still obscure to most advertisers, item chiefs, advertising specialists, and item advancement
and shopper knowledge pros. You have to peruse it in light of the fact that netnography offers
a sharp new shaft in the shopper examination tremble, a compelling new device for the
advertising workbench. Then again, on the off chance that you favour Sun Tzu's "The Art of
War" Netnography is the advertiser's mystery weapon for.

There are various approaches to study consumer behaviour in the online social world.
Here are a couple of the real ones: We can review individuals and get some information about
their practices. We can track and follow online practices and clickstreams. We can set up
online center gatherings, boards, and manufactured groups. We can code, inventory and sort
data. (Kozinets, 2010)
The way to netnography, and what makes it unique in relation to systems like center
gatherings, overviews, CRM data models, clickstream following, and even simulated groups,
is this: Netnography is centered on social bits of knowledge. Netnography is diverse on the
grounds that it treats online correspondences not as minor "substance," however as social
communication, as installed representation of significance, and as social curio. Netnography
gives careful consideration to setting. Netnography looks not simply at the words introduce in
social connections, however at the gathering components, the communicator qualities, the
dialect, the history, the significance, the sort of cooperation. (Kozinets, 2010) It inspects
textual styles, separating, images, writings, pictures, photographs, and features. And, in the
same way as its ancestor ethnography: It is naturalistic, after social declaration to its online
appearances. It is immersive, drawing the specialist into a captivated, deeper understanding.
It is unmistakable, trying to pass on the rich reality of contemporary shoppers' lives, with the
majority of their covered up social implications and additionally their vivid representation,
drawings, images, sounds, photographs, and features. (Kozinets, 2010)It is multi-technique,
joining great with different techniques, both online and off, for example, interviews and
videography. Like all techniques, netnography regularly works stunningly better when
triangulated with other wellsprings of knowledge. Case in point, supplement netnography
with focused on overviews to accept the replicability of discoveries. It is versatile, moving
easily from newsgroups to sites, wikis, virtual planets, informal communication destinations,
podcasting and portable online/logged off groups, and whatever else the future has in store.

As any individual who has utilized a web search tool to examine a theme knows,
Internet data is simple. Sort the brand name "Listerine" into the principle Google web search
tool and you will be confronted with pretty nearly 907,000 hits. It is generally simple for
somebody to download a couple of dozen of these pages and gathering posts about the brand,
survey and condense them, and then to pass themselves off as an online anthropologist.
Notwithstanding, something would be absent. There are prone to be no less than two
noteworthy issues with the 907,000 or something like that hits about the Listerine brand, or
some other famous brand, item, or business sector class that we may be occupied with
researching. (Kozinets, 2010) In the first place, there are a wide range of interchanges going
ahead on the double, and this makes discovering the examination fitting interchanges
troublesome. (Kozinets, 2010) There is publicizing, official correspondences, spam,
advancements, and reposts existing together with the social, buyer to-customer collaborations
that drive netnography. Google just provides for us the initial 1,000 hits. (Kozinets, 2010)And
even with those thousand hits, we confront a circumstance of wealth. More is not generally
better. Regardless of the possibility that we were to rise above the regular web search tool's
constraint, the possibility of physically downloading and perusing a huge number of online
collaborations is an overwhelming time duty. Netnography requires the analyst to explore the
scope of applicable social action happening in online social spaces. These social spaces have
been becoming huge both in volume and in assortment. On account of these two truths, I have
discovered it progressively significant to have quality programming instruments as a
subordinate to netnography. (Kozinets, 2010)
5. Selfies in the real world:
When we first hear the expression "Selfie," what do we consider? Is it accurate to say
that it is a young lady with a "duck face" at a gathering on Facebook, or a fellow directing his
iPhone at the mirror toward record his late workout? MySpace was the first mass informal

organization. Then again, the Selfie was initially begat on Flickr in 2004. Presently
everybody's dashboard on every person to person communication site is loaded with
photographs individuals took of themselves and their companions. Each one revive of the
"Investigate" page on Instagram guarantees an alternate 50 selfies transferred inside 10
seconds.
Selfie society, however shocking it may appear to numerous people, has gotten to be
genuinely pertinent throughout today's high school era. (Miller, 2014) With the advancement
of cell phone cams, especially the Samsung Galaxy and IPhone, youngsters are joined by
grown-ups and kids in the mission for every day Instagram posts, hourly Facebook overhauls,
and moment by-moment Snap chats.
Obviously, one needs to ask, what urges us to take pictures of ourselves to send to our
companions or post on an open discussion? It is safe to say that it is immaculate narcissism,
or more than that?
It is seen that young ladies who take every day selfies to post to Instagram. As of
October 2013, there have been about 40 million posts containing "#Selfie" under their labels.
(Miller, 2014)Instagram was the origination of the Selfie, as men and ladies started posting
pictures of their surroundings, as well as themselves. (Miller, 2014)
For friends who live apart, Snapchatting is really one of the best manifestations of
correspondence. (Miller, 2014) Despite everything it considers a cosy companionship, on the
grounds that we can see one another's faces consistently, rather than simply messaging or
talking. (Miller, 2014)There's something extraordinary about Snapchatting in that way, on the
grounds that its unique in relation to simply words flying over and over again. Like
Instagram, its pictures from genuine living. Snapchatting is extraordinary on the grounds that
it is an eye to eye trade that doesn't include the dedication of Skype. One can undoubtedly

have a "discussion" with somebody for the duration of the day essentially by how we send
pictures over and over again. (Miller, 2014)
Selfies come in different styles and angles; let us take an illustrative example of some kind of
selfies. (Chosen from Twitter)
Smiling Selfie:

Work Out Selfie:

Celebrity Selfie:

Nude Selfie:

Selfies with Different Poses:

Selfies with Friends:

Selfies with Pets:

With the help of the above illustrations, we have seen various types of Selfies. While some
people prefer to take smiling selfies, others strike a pose and others want to take naked
selfies. Some people prefer selfies after a workout to flaunt their bodies, while others may
include their pets or close friends. Even celebrities are becoming more and more active when
it comes to joining the selfie culture. Who can forget the famous Ellen DeGeneres Oscar
selfie that included Brad Pitt, Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper?
6. Selfie Culture in Different Countries:

Berl
in

Los
Ang
ele
s

Sa
o
Pa
ul
o
53
%

Parameter
s

Ban
gko
k

Ne
w
Yor
k

Male

42.3
0%

44.9
0%

52.7
0%

50.7
0%

46.2
0%

73%

44.8
0%

Female

57.7
00%

55.1
00%

47.3
00%

49.3
00%

53.8
00%

27.0
00%

55.2
00%

171

128
6

117
0

271

99

52

105
9

107
909

225
038
1

925
289

128
101
0

573
88

156
132

148
105
2

145

107
8

901

240

84

42

918

186

157

178

177

178

178

123

1.17
931
034
5

1.19
294
990
7

1.29
855
715
9

1.12
916
666
7

1.17
857
142
9

1.23
809
523
8

1.15
359
477
1

17
0
1.3
05
72
6

0.91
935
483
9

8.19
108
280
3

6.57
303
370
8

1.53
107
344
6

0.55
617
977
5

0.29
213
483
1

8.60
975
609
8

631.
046
783

174
9.90
746

790.
845
299

472
6.97
417

579.
676
767

300
2.53
846

139
8.53
824

Total
Tweets
Total
Audienc
e
Contribu
tors
Measure
d time
Tweets /
Contribu
tor
Frequen
cy
(tweet
per
hour)
Audienc
e Per
Tweet

Lon
don

Pari
s

Beij
ing

Sy
dn
ey

M
os
co
w

63.
90
%
36.
10
0%
18
4

56.
40
%
43.
60
0%
15
1

13
51
72

43
46
7

191
029
98

14
4

11
6

399
1

18
4
1.2
77
77
8

17
3
1.3
01
72
4

177
6
1.12
753
695
8

7.5
11
76
5

0.8
72
83
2

2.53
378
378
4

15
19.
24

73
4.6
30

28
7.8
60

424
5.11
066

47.
00
0%
12
77
19
40
07
8
97
8

Tot
al
Wor
ld

48.7
0%
51.3
00%
450
0

The above data has been retrieved from the website www.followthehashtag.com. A simple
keyword Selfie was used to check the frequency of selfies posted on Twitter. Various cities
in the world were examined individually, and then as a whole.
We found that Females post more Selfies than their male counterparts in various cities in the
world, and the world ratio of Male vis--vis females was in favour of females posting more
selfies. London, Sydney and Moscow were the exceptions among the cities examined, and
Paris was marginally skewed in terms of males posting more selfies than females.

The measured time of the tweets ranged between 123 hours to 186 hours in the cities
examined, with a total of 1776 hours for the world (including cities not examined).
We found that the world averaged approximately 2.5 tweets per hour. This frequency was
highly elevated in cities such as New York, London, Los Angeles and Sao Paulo with each
ranging above or close to 8 tweets per hour. On the other hand, cities such as Bangkok,

Berlin, Beijing and Sydney were considerably less frequent in posting Selfies, with the
average frequency being 1 selfie or less per hour.

Almost all the cities had users posting more than one selfie of them, and even the world
average had the same contributors posting more than one selfie.
The world averaged about 4245 people viewing per tweet. Almost all the cities examined,
with the exception of Paris were considerably below the world average.

The data analyzed by selfiecity.net tells us how different cultures and countries have
adapted to the Selfie culture. It was found that Bangkok (Thailand) and Sao Paulo (Brazil)
have the highest smile ratios at 0.68 and 0.64 respectively. (Smile ratio was calculated on the
basis of a smile score when people took Selfies. (Selfiecity, 2015) Moscow (Russia) stood at
the lowest amongst the countries analyzed with a smile ratio of 0.53. (Selfiecity, 2015) It was
also found that women, especially in Sao Paulo, had more expressive selfies than any other
part in the world, with a head tilt of approximately 16.9 (Selfiecity, 2015). Moreover,
women were found to have a more expressive or a bigger head tilt almost in every country
analyzed.
7. Conclusions:
As discussed in the course of this paper, Selfies are becoming more and more popular with
the help of technological advanced gadgets such as smart phones and tablets. Twitter,
Facebook, Instagram are some of the leaders when it comes to posting Selfies by people. The
Selfie (as discussed earlier) has become a global phenomenon and is extremely popular,
especially amongst children and young adults, with a median age of 23.7 years. (Selfiecity,
2015). Additionally, if one were to carefully dissect the demographics of the Selfie culture,

we would find that women are generally more active in clicking selfies than their male
counterparts. (Selfiecity, 2015) However, these figures may be misleading in a sense of
totality. It is found that only 4% of total users on various social networking websites actually
click selfies. (Selfiecity, 2015). Major world cities such as Bangkok, Berlin, New York, Sao
Paulo and Moscow are the leading in terms of their people clicking Selfies. (Selfiecity, 2015).
Most of the Selfie tweets on Twitter.com are from users who have in excess of 60,000
followers.
The Selfie culture is here to stay, for the time being anyway. However, there have
been various outcry in the recent past when youths have clicked Selfies at funerals and even
Nazi Concentration Camp sites. Citing these events as misguided teenage phenomenon,
people have come down heavily on these youths. However, some people argue that clicking
Selfies have been in vogue ever since the camera was first introduced.

References
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Culture and Technology.
Kozinets, R.V. (2010) 'Netnography: The Marketers Secret Weapon', NETBASE,
March.
Levin, A. (2014) the Selfie in the age of Digital Recursion, [Online], Available:
http://ivc.lib.rochester.edu/portfolio/the-selfie-in-the-age-of-digital-recursion/ [05
January 2015].

Miller, C. (2014) Selfie Culture, 24 January, [Online], Available:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/casey-miller/teens-and-selfies_b_4218454.html
[05 January 2015].
Oxford (2015) selfie, [Online], Available:
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/selfie [05 January 2015].
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January 2015].