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Selfies: Narcissism, Insecurity or Self Expression?

Selfies: Narcissism, Insecurity or Self Expression?

Lights, camera, action! It's time for your close up.

You've taken a dozen pictures just to get the right look; the right (flattering) angle. Now you need to choose a filter and decide what the caption is going to be -- oh, and make sure it's witty and cute! Decisions, decisions.

A "selfie" is a type of self-portrait photograph, typically taken with a hand-held digital camera or camera phone. Selfies are often associated with social networks like Facebook or Instagram tagged with #selfie or just with #me. They are often, but not exclusively, posted by women.

The popularity of selfies has dramatically increased and has become a social media phenomenon. Is the selfie culture proof of a generation's narcissism? Or self-exploration?

You may need to think before you #selfie.

A pioneer in media psychology, Dr. Pamela Rutledge, works at the intersection of design, technology and psychology. In this segment of HER Radio, Dr. Rutledge discusses how social media has impacted the way you project your identity and what that means for society as a whole.

Featured Speaker:
Pamela Rutledge, PhD
Pam RutledgeA pioneer in media psychology, Dr. Pamela Rutledge works at the intersection of design, technology and psychology. She consults and writes on the human side of our socially-networked world to promote media technology's positive potential. By uniting the ancient art of story with cutting-edge science, she helps clients develop a road map to achieve their goals, from personal branding and leadership to corporate messaging. Dr. Rutledge is Director of the Media Psychology Research Center and adjunct faculty at Fielding Graduate University and the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology.

Dr. Rutledge has published both academic and popular work and also blogs for PsychologyToday.com. She is a frequent expert source on social media, technology and popular culture for media outlets such as Associated Press, NY Times, the UK Guardian, BBC4, HuffPost Live, PC World, Seventeen Magazine, San Francisco Chronicle, Good Morning America, ABCnews.com, Toronto Sun, Education Week, and USAToday. Dr. Rutledge is based in Newport Beach, California.