The Selfie Stick As the Pinnacle of Our Cultural Demise

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when the selfie stick became an obsession among the masses. It seemed to appear out of nowhere around the winter of 2014, with illegal immigrants selling them throughout the streets of cities like Rome and Paris to tourists eager to capture the perfect shot of themselves in front of various famous monuments (though there’s nothing more depressing than watching a person traveling alone take a picture of himself in, say, the Vatican among the many relics in order to make it look as though he wasn’t alone).

In all its simplistic glory
In all its simplistic glory

The first trace of the selfie stick originated, if you can believe it, circa 1983, when Minolta, a Japanese camera manufacturer (no surprise that the Japanese would be the people to innovate this concept) released a camera that was mounted on a stick. The selfie stick continued to evolve in 2005 after Wayne Fromm patented the Quik Pod. Ever since, the device that has derisively been called the Narcisstick has become a runaway train that can’t be stopped, barreling through every major city with any sort of illustrious landmark or museum to take a picture in front of.

Getting the perfect angle
Getting the perfect angle

What’s worse than the selfie stick being used for “harmless” tourism is when people feel completely comfortable using it in everyday situations, like at a restaurant or simply walking from point A to point B. The ease with which twenty-first century culture has embraced its narcissism is not only horrifying, but dangerous to the continued artistic and ennobling progress of humanity. How can anyone expect the creation of something meaningful when we’re all too busy photographically chronicling ourselves with a selfie stick?

In an everyday situation, the selfie stick has become normal
In an everyday situation, the selfie stick has become normal

Although a number of institutions that still understand the value of humbleness have cracked down on the use of selfie sticks, its continued promotion and acceptance is very much a sign of our developmental demise.

Genna Rivieccio http://culledculture.com

Genna Rivieccio writes for myriad blogs, mainly this one, The Burning Bush, Missing A Dick, The Airship and Meditations on Misery.

You May Also Like

More From Author

3Comments

Add yours
  1. 1
    New York Loft Hostel Sees Drop in Reservations After Banning Selfie Sticks from Premises | The Burning Bush

    […] The manager at the facility, Morton Incite, a 33-year-old who also consults at La Bouche, explained the reasoning behind this new policy. “Things were getting out of control. By checking every guest’s bags to ensure they do not have a selfie stick, we’re limiting not only the amount of inappropriate sexual photos that get taken here, but also keeping the streets of Bushwick from looking like a goddamn mongo parade.” […]

Comments are closed.