Selfie sticks have been a hot topic of popular culture over the past year. In case you don’t know what one is, it’s basically a pole that holds your cell phone to allow you to take self-portraits easier and at a greater distance. Often critics claim self-centered narcissistic people on social media use this new picture-taking device.[1] Other pundits anyone using one just looks stupid.[2] Now those are strong words, but they are real words that can be found in more than one article. However, there are two ways a selfie stick can be used positively.
The first is for basic photography. It was about a year ago that I saw a selfie stick for the first time and I thought it was a great idea. This was because the selfie stick was being used to take a picture of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. Rather than taking a picture of himself, the user was using the monopod on his camera phone to take a better shot of the Memorial. By using the selfie stick he was able to eliminate the large crowd that would have hindered his photographic shot. So a selfie stick can be practically used to aid one in their photography.
Another use for a selfie stick is to take a group shot when there is no one else around to take a photo. This is closer to the traditional intent of a selfie stick, but instead of focusing on oneself, the device can be used to create family photos for other to enjoy. After all we have each have wanted to take a group shot somewhere, but have felt it would impose on others to take the photo of us and our loved one together. The selfie stick eliminates the awkward imposition of having to ask someone else to take the photo.
There are probably other unselfish reasons to use a selfie stick, but these two alone show its positive use. So while it’s been amusing to watch the backlash over a new photography tool. From the device being banned by Apple at the WWDC in June to general stigma around the device, it’s good to know there are some positive uses for it too.[3] Like many things in life, we may find that what view as a problem may present an even greater opportunity. What are some other positive ways you could use the selfie stick? If you don’t like it, how could you turn your hate for it into something positive?
[1]https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/reading-between-the-headlines/201412/the-selfie-stick
[2]http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/16/travel/selfie-stick-opinion/
[3]http://money.cnn.com/2015/04/14/technology/apple-selfie-sticks/
