Selfies

                              “Selfies are not pokemon,
                                                               You do not have to catch em all!”
                                                                                                        -Humble the poet.

Basically this topic doesn’t need an introduction. It’s a worldwide rage. From the young to old, almost everyone is consummated. Yes, I’m talking about -THE SELFIE. To be precise, I don’t even need to define it! On my recent tour to my native place which lies in a distant part of Tamilnadu, I came across how digitization has reached almost everywhere! And then I came across some kids, probably teens, who were taking a selfie from the back camera of their Nokia series, which was not a smartphone.
                                          Selfie is gripping people all over the country and abroad. People are going gaga over them and this rage doesn’t seem to be going down anytime soon! There are now even many types of selfies that people click. At first selfie used to work as a mirror to look at and have a check. But now, Thanks to snapchat, People have started selfieing almost every other thing!
Work! SELFIE! Traffic! SELFIE! Donuts! SELFIE! Best friend! SELFIE! Soulmate! SELFIE! Marine drive! SELFIE! Marriage! SELFIE! Pimple! SELFIE! ---- I mean just STOP!!!
                         Do you realize what has this selfie done to you? Can’t you see how self centered you have become? Through all your selfie phase, do you realize when was the last time you and your best friend had a proper conversation?? From when did you start needing your phone battery full and net packs on to connect with your love? Why has Wi-Fi replaced your telepathy? A selfie a day keeps insecurities away! I mean how? How can a depressed person be cured by clicking a selfie?? Then what are the therapies for! Infact....selfie itself is said to be a psychological disorder! Not a normal one but extending to high level narcissism!
                                        In this era of smartphones, are people smart enough to put them to utilization? People buy their mobile not by checking other features but size and front camera! I mean seriously? You don’t care about software, You don’t care about specifications. Is clicking a selfie more important than any other feature? The smartphones have brought people at a single message distance…But has alienated them from the people around them. When was the last time your group had a real talk and made plans to visit some places sitting face to face rather than clicking pictures?
                                       I’m not against pictures. Infact they are best ways to save and cherish your moments. But much more important than that is to LIVE THE MOMENT! Create memories. Reminding them will make you smile. The funny conversation will make you smile. Your selfies won’t! Go out. Play football in the rain. Get along with your friends. Have a hot tea n some bhajiyyas. Catch up where you left. Live the rain. Capture it’s essence in your heart than capturing it in your phone. Put the phone down when around her. Hold hands. Let her know she looks beautiful today. Make her laugh. See her beaming. Admire the real her rather than her pictures and selfies. She’s much more beautiful on the inside!
                                          Do everything that makes you happy! And when your heart is full, pull out your phone and click one or two pictures! After all, some moments need to be in your heart as well as your album! Just don’t let it over rule you! Happy clicking and happy living!!

----- Laxmi Krishnan