It was remarkable how many of those witnessing the late Queen’s journey from Balmoral to Windsor, did so via their mobile phones. Understandably, they wished to record what was a unique occasion, unlikely to be repeated. It was more difficult to understand the thinking of those who turned their backs to take a selfie, reducing the cortege to an egotistical backdrop. Being respectfully present wasn’t enough; they craved external validation of their presence.

Digital technology and mobile phones have created the curse of the selfie. In earlier days, taking a photo required the snapper to load film, aim the camera, click, send the film for processing, and wait eagerly for the prints to pop through the letter box. It wasn’t cheap and the end-product often disappointed. Only on opening the BonusPrint envelope did you discover you had decapitated your subject or camera shake had given the impression of a moderate earth tremor.

Selfies of one sort or another have been around for a long time. After all, van Gogh completed around 30 self-portraits in the 1880s. In 1839, American Robert Cornelius took what may have been the first photographic selfie. But it’s all-pervasive social media that has turbo charged the selfie obsession. Everywhere we go, we encounter someone taking a photo of her/himself in front of a beauty spot/artwork/building. Harmless in its own way I suppose, but vast numbers of selfies then find their way onto Facebook and Instagram. I don’t know who did the counting, but it’s estimated around two million selfies are uploaded every day.

Mobile phones and digital technology have brought many benefits, but the selfie is not one of them. It’s emblematic of the “Me, Me” generation. It’s claimed the term “selfie” first saw light of day in Australia in 2002, casting doubt on Paris Hilton’s claim that she and Britney Spears “invented” the selfie in 2006. What did I say about the “Me, Me,” generation?

What lies behind the selfie obsession has kept psychologists gainfully employed for years. Occasionally uploading a spectacular photo is perfectly normal, but it doesn’t stop there. Too often it becomes a narcistic addiction, with individuals sharing multiple images daily or even hourly. Inviting others to like or comment is digital ego-massaging. Positive feedback offers a “warm fuzzy,” validating the poster’s popularity and connections. There’s also a competitive undertone, sending the implicit message that my life is more interesting/better than yours. I’m better looking, more travelled and can eat in more expensive restaurants. To prove it, here’s me with my galaktoboureko (yep, I had to look it up as well) in an off-the-beaten-track eatery in Athens.

The saddest posters of all use editing software to enhance their looks or surroundings. American research suggests that is a sure sign of narcissism and a craving for popularity. Perhaps it explains why politicians constantly push favourable images of themselves into the public domain. Boris Johnson employed a personal photographer to capture him in hi-viz jacket, pretending to understand something about which he hasn’t a scooby.

His successor has taken it to new levels of absurdity, so much so that Guardian cartoonist Martin Rowson regularly lampoons Ms Truss with phone in hand, ready for the next selfie opportunity. There’s no helping the woman. If it’s not Taylor Swift, it’s long-suffering Larry, the Downing Street cat.

What she and other narcissists fail to grasp is they are making themselves less, not more popular. Eye-rolling is the most likely reaction to the latest self-publicity from the “Me, Me” brigade. The old-time equivalent was friends who enquired if we would like to see their Benidorm holiday “snaps” – “There’s only a hundred or so.” We smiled and nodded politely, but thinking we would rather stab ourselves in the eye with a pencil.

Uncontrolled selfie-taking threatens physical as well as mental health. Wikipedia suggests around 25 people died in 2021 attempting to take edge of a cliff “killfies”. In that situation, “back a bit” can have fatal consequences. In Canada I witnessed a killfie-seeker going within a couple of yards of a wild bear before a ranger intervened. Why risk your life when most of us have little interest in the result? Selfie bores need to get the picture and pay heed to the old saying, less is more.

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