The rise of the selfie: why we’re all celebrities now

Previous words of the year, according to Oxford Dictionaries, include “omnishambles” in 2012, “big society” in 2010, and 2008’s “credit crunch” – two little words that snappily encapsulated the banking crisis and consequent recession across the western world.

But “selfie”, which was named word of 2013 in both the UK and the US, reflects a cultural trend – a widespread activity that would be intimate, were it not posted online for the world to see.

And it is easy to make the connection between the rise of the selfie and our increasing desire to project, and control, our image. After years of digesting celebrities’ well constructed personas, we are now opting to do the same ourselves, says Paul Stocks, English language specialist at Goldsmiths College, London University.

“Words come into use when there’s a need for them,” he told Channel 4 News. “This word is connected with identity – not necessarily how you see yourself, but it’s about how you want other people to see you.

“Celebrities have been so conscious of public image, but everyone is now. It’s the democratisation of PR.”

Oxford Dictionaries words of the year
2004 chav
2005 sudoku
2006 bovvered
2007 carbon footprint
2008 credit crunch
2009 simples
2010 big society
2011 squeezed middle
2012 omnishambles
2013 selfie

Up to speed with Oxford Dictionary word of the year: here’s today’s ‘selfie’! http://t.co/FUXtOHXVa3

— Jon Snow (@jonsnowC4) November 19, 2013

Bookshelfie?

When it comes to the word itself, its popularity is partly derived from its flexibility: multiple spin-offs in regular use include “delfie”, for a photo with your dog, “melfie”, for a photo with your mum, and even “bookshelfie”, for those who presumably want to project their literary leanings.

The word “selfie” was first recorded on an Australian online forum in 2004, and in terms of etymology, Mr Stock says it is reminiscent of an Australian accent.

The flexible quality of the word means the odds of it lasting are fairly high, say experts – more so than other words that are linked to specific events, or political terminology. And there is also the fact that it is so linked to social media, which has helped to create a staggering 17,000 per cent rise in the word’s use in just 12 months.

“Social media sites helped to popularise the term, with the hashtag #selfie appearing on the photo-sharing website Flickr as early as 2004,” says Judy Pearsall, editorial director for Oxford Dictionaries, “but usage wasn’t widespread until around 2012, when selfie was being used commonly in mainstream media sources.”

So the next time you post a photo of yourself posing ironically in front of some hilarious backdrop, before posting it on Facebook, take comfort: you are in fact engaging in the signature cultural trend of the year.

Oxford Dictionaries word of the year: the UK shortlist

bedroom tax, noun, informal:
A reduction in the amount of housing benefit paid to a claimant if the property they are renting is judged to have more bedrooms than is necessary for the number of the people in the household, according to criteria set down by the government.

binge-watch, verb:
to watch multiple episodes of a television programme in rapid succession, typically by means of DVDs or digital streaming.

bitcoin, noun:
a digital currency in which transactions can be performed without the need for a central bank. Also, a unit of bitcoin.

olinguito, noun:
a small furry mammal found in mountain forests in Colombia and Ecuador, the smallest member of the raccoon family.

schmeat, noun, informal:
a form of meat produced synthetically from biological tissue.

showrooming, noun:
the practice of visiting a shop or shops in order to examine a product before buying it online at a lower price.

twerk, verb:
dance to popular music in a sexually provocative manner involving thrusting hip movements and a low, squatting stance.