許多年前，自拍是個技術(shù)活兒：為相機設(shè)定好倒計時，然后迅速跑到鏡頭前，靜待那“咔嚓”一聲快門。后來，自拍是一種迫不得已：把胳膊伸到最遠的距離，鏡頭對準自己按下快門，然后急切地查看自己的大臉是否全部進入了畫面。如今，自拍是一種生活態(tài)度：無聊時打開手機的前置攝像頭，擺好表情，一秒即成。技術(shù)的進步使自拍越來越容易實現(xiàn)，個體的獨立使人們越來越關(guān)注自身，于是社交網(wǎng)絡(luò)上出現(xiàn)了“自拍一族”，他們用照片來記錄生活中的大事小事。無論你想不想看，自拍照就在那里，或悲或喜，不離不棄。

The first smartphone with a forward-facing camera was the watershed1） moment.

You only need this forward-facing camera if you want to take pictures of yourself. Could there be any more conclusive indication of the ubiquity of the self-portrait or selfie？

The cameras， which focus automatically from arm’s length， invite us to photograph on the spur of the moment2）， regardless of location or company.

Images can be shared with thousands of other people. Its immediacy—Look where I am！ Look what I’m doing！ Look at what I look like！—is exciting. To some.

There’s the high angle photo， awkwardly featuring the taker’s arm. There’s the mirror self-portrait. There are posed selfies， with Bambi-eyes3） and pouting4） lips. And there are group selfies， even dodging5） a stranger’s kind offer to take the same photo.

A search on photo sharing app Instagram retrieves over 23 million photos uploaded with the hashtag6） #selfie， and a whopping7） 51 million with the hashtag #me.

Rihanna8）， Justin Bieber， Lady Gaga and Madonna are all serial uploaders of selfies. Model Kelly Brook took so many she ended up “banning” herself. The Obama children were spotted posing into their mobile phones at their father’s second inauguration9）. Even astronaut Steve Robinson took a photo of himself during his repair of the Space Shuttle Discovery.

Selfie-ism is everywhere. The word “selfie” has been bandied about10） so much it’s currently being monitored for inclusion in the Oxford Dictionary Online.

The first self-portrait photograph is thought to have been taken by camera pioneer Robert Cornelius in 1839， but whether or not it’s a true selfie is debatable.

“It’s likely he may have had a friend or assistant to make the actual exposure，” says Dr. Michael Pritchard， historian and director general of the Royal Photographic Society.

“It’s more likely the first selfies were taken a bit later on. The first shutters11） with self-timers were available as early as the late 1880s， and allowed five or ten seconds for the subject to get into the shot.

“Some cameras also had long cable releases12）， allowing the subject to press the shutter from a distance.”

Sharing of self-portraits also pre-dates the internet. The 1860s saw huge popularity for the sharing of cartes de visite—little photocards. Even the photo booth dates back as far as 1880， and attracted groups of friends much as it does today.

Then there was the Polaroid13）. First sold from 1948 but not truly “instant” until its 1970s heyday14）， Polaroid cameras could be held at arm’s length and encouraged people to take more intimate photos.

“The Polaroid’s big plus was that you didn’t have to take a film to be developed，” explains Dr. Pritchard. “It freed up the amateur who didn’t have a darkroom from having someone look at the photograph before he or she did.”

Technological advances mean that where we once had to remain very still due to long exposure times—creating a more formal image—now we can be captured quickly and informally.

Some people prefer the images they take themselves.

“Mirror images are primarily private and transient15），” says Dr. Pamela Rutledge， director of the Media Psychology Research Centre in Boston. “We see ourselves alive and dynamic， a person in progress.”

Emily Cook， a 22-year-old Instagram user， believes they elicit16） a feel-good factor. “It’s always nice to document a good hair day， or an outfit you love. And generally， especially with Instagram， there’s a real feel-good attitude towards selfies， and as vain as it may be， you know that if you’re not feeling great， there’s someone who will ‘like’ your photo and tell you you’re pretty.”

It is also， she believes， just another way to tell a story through social networking： “Instead of saying you’re going to work， a photo of you in your uniform does that.”

According to Dr. Rutledge， we enjoy opportunities to experiment with different identities—and the selfie allows just that. “We all want to be able to ‘try’ on a new image and imagine how we would feel as that part of ourselves，” she explains.

According to recent findings from the Pew Research Centre， teenagers in America are sharing more information than ever about themselves on social media. Of those studied， 91% post photos of themselves online—up from 79% in 2006.

One theory is that the selfie tells other people how we want to be seen.

Dr. Aaron Balick， a psychotherapist who has written a book about the human motivations behind social networking， explains that we have both “active online identities” and “passive online identities.”

“A passive one is like when you search for yourself， or when friends post information about you—it’s your online identity that you have no control over，” he explains. “Active online identities are ones you can control， like a Facebook profile.

“A selfie is an expression of an active online identity， something you have some control over. You might take lots， but you’ll publish the ones you like—even if they are silly or unflattering.”

The selfie trend as a whole has attracted a significant amount of criticism.

For many it’s still inexorably17） associated with “sexting”—sending sexual photographs via text， which are typically self-taken.

Of course， most selfies are clothed and innocuous18）. But they can still get people in trouble.

“Just like with other forms of behaviour that push the edges of the social envelope19）， those who create provocative selfies to get attention will not only not get the kind of attention they really want， but may find that they have created something that they have a hard time getting rid of，” says Rutledge.

Selfie-taker Emily points out that her generation has forever been warned about internet risks and， as a result， she’s careful. “I know the circle of people who see my images， and if any of them make me uncomfortable—I have received dodgy20） messages—I just block them.

“At the end of the day21） it’s my face and body， and if I choose to put it online that’s up to me， but I also have to take the blame if they fall into the wrong hands. I’d never post anything I wouldn’t want printed and sent to my mum.”

Selfies are commonly criticised not for their potential risks， but for their associations with vanity and narcissism. Isn’t it a bit， well， cringeworthy22） to take the time to photograph ourselves， and assume our friends （not to mention potential strangers） will want to see the results？

“Culturally people aren’t supposed to self-promote or ‘brag’—especially women，” says Rutledge. But attitudes depend on how we feel more generally about sharing personal information on the internet. The increase in sharing of all kinds of personal information and images may have redefined what is “normal.”

第一部帶有前置攝像頭的智能手機是重要轉(zhuǎn)折點。

要想給自己拍照，你只需要這樣一個前置的攝像頭。還有比這更明確的跡象來表明自畫像或自拍的無所不在嗎？

這些能夠在一臂之外的地方自動對焦的攝像頭會誘使我們在心血來潮時拍照，不論在什么地方或是和什么人在一起。

照片能夠被分享給成千上萬的其他人。瞧我在哪兒呢！瞧我在做什么呢！瞧我是什么樣子！——這種即時性令人激動，當然這只是對于某些人來說。

自拍照片五花八門：有高角度自拍，照片中會尷尬地出現(xiàn)自拍者的胳膊；有對鏡自拍；有擺姿勢自拍，照片中的自拍者眼神無辜，還嘟著嘴唇；還有集體自拍，連陌生人主動幫忙拍照的善意都避免了。

你如果在照片分享軟件Instagram上進行搜索，可以檢索到2300多萬上傳時添加了“#自拍”標簽的照片，而添加了“#我”標簽的照片達到了驚人的5100萬張之多。

蕾哈娜、賈斯汀·比伯、嘎嘎小姐和麥當娜都上傳過一系列自拍照。模特凱利·布魯克則因為自拍了太多照片，最后只好“禁止”自己再拍。在奧巴馬的第二次就職典禮上，人們發(fā)現(xiàn)他的孩子們也在對著手機擺姿勢。甚至連航天員史蒂夫·魯濱遜在修理“探索號”航天飛機時也自拍了一張照片。

自拍主義無處不在?！白耘摹币辉~最近被如此頻繁地談及，以至于人們正密切關(guān)注，考慮將之納入“牛津在線詞典”。

第一張自拍照被認為是攝影先驅(qū)羅伯特·科爾內(nèi)留斯于1839年所拍攝的，但這張照片是否是真正的自拍照還有待商榷。

“當時真正給他拍照的有可能是他的一位朋友或助手?！睔v史學家、皇家攝影協(xié)會總干事邁克爾·普里查德博士說。

“第一批自拍照更有可能是稍晚一些時候拍攝的。最早具有自拍裝置的快門早在19世紀80年代末就出現(xiàn)了，可以給拍照人預(yù)留五或十秒的時間使其進入鏡頭。

“有些相機還有很長的快門線，拍照人可以從遠處按下快門?！?/p>

自拍照的分享也早在互聯(lián)網(wǎng)誕生之前就出現(xiàn)了。19世紀60年代就曾盛行過交換名片——一種小相片卡。甚至快照亭的出現(xiàn)都可以追溯至1880年，當時它曾吸引朋友們成群結(jié)隊來拍照，正如今天一樣。

后來有了寶麗來。寶麗來最早從1948年開始出售，但直到20世紀70年代的全盛時期，寶麗來才真正實現(xiàn)了“即時”成像。人們可以把寶麗來相機拿在一臂之外的地方拍照，這促使人們開始拍攝更加親密的照片。

“寶麗來的一大優(yōu)勢是你不必把膠片拿去沖洗，”普里查德博士解釋道，“這解放了沒有暗室的業(yè)余拍照者，使他們不必讓別人先于自己看到照片?！?/p>

以前因為曝光時間長，我們拍照時不得不保持一動不動，這樣拍出的照片更正式些。而技術(shù)方面的進步意味著現(xiàn)在我們可以快速、隨意地拍照。

有些人更喜歡自己拍攝的照片。

“鏡像從根本上說是私密和轉(zhuǎn)瞬即逝的，”位于波士頓的媒體心理學研究中心主任帕梅拉·拉特利奇博士說，“我們看到的自己精神抖擻、充滿活力，是處于活動狀態(tài)的一個人?！?/p>

22歲的Instagram用戶埃米莉·庫克認為自拍能讓人感覺良好?！坝涗洶l(fā)型很漂亮的一天，或者你喜歡的一套衣服，這總是讓人感覺不錯。一般而言，特別是在Instagram上，人們對自拍總是抱有一種真正的感覺良好的態(tài)度。你知道就算你感覺不那么好，也會有人‘贊’你的照片，并告訴你你很漂亮，盡管這或許挺虛榮的?！?/p>

她認為，自拍還是通過社交網(wǎng)絡(luò)講故事的另一種方式：“你不用說自己要去上班了，你穿制服的照片就說明了這一點?！?/p>

拉特利奇博士認為，我們喜歡有機會來體驗不同的身份，而自拍恰好可以實現(xiàn)這一點?！拔覀兌枷Ｍ堋囋嚒幸桓毙碌男蜗?，想象作為另外一個自己會是什么感覺?！彼忉尩?。

根據(jù)皮尤研究中心的最新發(fā)現(xiàn)，美國青少年在社交媒體上分享的個人信息之多是前所未有的。在接受調(diào)查的青少年中，91%的人會在網(wǎng)上發(fā)布自己的照片，比2006年的79%有所上升。

有一種理論這樣解釋：自拍能告訴其他人我們想呈現(xiàn)怎樣的形象。

阿龍·巴利克博士是一位精神治療師，著有一本關(guān)于社交網(wǎng)絡(luò)背后的人類動機的書。他解釋說，我們有兩種身份，即“主動線上身份”和“被動線上身份”。

“打個比方，被動線上身份是指你搜索到的關(guān)于自己的信息，或是朋友們發(fā)布的關(guān)于你的信息——這是你無法控制的線上身份，”他解釋說，“而主動線上身份是你可以控制的身份，例如Facebook上的個人簡介。

“自拍是主動線上身份的一種表達，是你能有所控制的事物。你也許會拍很多張，但只會發(fā)布自己喜歡的幾張——哪怕這些照片看上去很傻或者有損形象。”

從總體上看，自拍潮流招致了大量的批評。

在很多人看來，自拍仍然與“發(fā)色情短信”有不可分割的關(guān)系，后者是指通過短信發(fā)送色情照片，這些照片往往都是自拍的。

當然，大多數(shù)自拍照是穿著衣服、無傷大雅的，但它們?nèi)匀粫o人帶來麻煩。

“就像挑戰(zhàn)社會容忍極限的其他行為方式一樣，那些拍攝具有挑逗性的自拍照以期獲得關(guān)注的人不僅得不到他們真正想要得到的那種關(guān)注，而且可能會發(fā)現(xiàn)他們制造了自己難以擺脫的麻煩?！崩乩嬲f道。

自拍者埃米莉指出，他們這一代人一直被告誡要警惕互聯(lián)網(wǎng)上的風險，因而她很小心。“我認識看我照片的那群人，如果其中任何人讓我感到不舒服——我曾收到過一些可疑的信息——我就把他們拉黑。

“說到底，臉蛋和身體是我自己的。如果我選擇把照片放在網(wǎng)上，這是我自己的決定。但是如果這些照片落入壞人手中，我也必須要承擔責任。我決不會發(fā)布任何我不想打印出來寄給我媽媽的照片?！?/p>

自拍遭到批評不是因為其存在潛在的風險，而是因為人們會將其與虛榮和自戀聯(lián)系起來?；〞r間給自己拍照，而且想當然地認為自己的朋友（更不要說潛在的陌生人）想要看到自拍的結(jié)果，這難道不會有點……呃，讓人難堪嗎？

“從文化角度來說，人們不應(yīng)該推銷自己或是‘自夸’——特別是女性。”拉特利奇說。但對自拍的態(tài)度取決于我們?nèi)绾螐母鼜V泛的角度看待在互聯(lián)網(wǎng)上分享個人信息這件事。各種個人信息和圖片的分享越來越多，這可能已經(jīng)重新界定了什么是“正?！钡男袨椤?/p>

1.watershed [?w??t?（r）??ed] n. 轉(zhuǎn)折點；分水嶺

2.on the spur of the moment：不加考慮，沖動之下

3.Bambi-eyes：指無辜而惹人憐愛的眼神，Bambi是迪士尼經(jīng)典動畫《小鹿斑比》（Bambi）中小鹿的名字。

4.pout [pa?t] vi. 撅嘴

5.dodge [d?d?] vt. 規(guī)避，躲避

6.hashtag [?h???t?ɡ] n. （微博等的）標簽

7.whopping [?w?p??] adj. 極大的，龐大的

8.Rihanna：即羅賓·蕾哈娜·芬蒂（Robyn Rihanna Fenty， 1988～），巴巴多斯女歌手，是21世紀以來全球唱片銷量最高的歌手之一，代表作品有“Love the Way You Lie”“We Found Love”等。

9.inauguration [??n??ɡj??re??（?）n] n. 就職典禮

10.bandy about：輕率地（或開玩笑地）談?wù)摚h論，談及

11.shutter [???t?（r）] n. （相機的）快門

12.cable release：[攝] （照相機的）快門線

13.Polaroid：寶麗來，著名的即時成像相機品牌

14.heyday [?he?de?] n. 全盛時期

15.transient [?tr?nzi?nt] adj. 短暫的，易逝的

16.elicit [??l?s?t] vt. 引起

17.inexorably [?n?eks?r?bli] adv. 不可阻擋地，不可動搖地

18.innocuous [??n?kju?s] adj. 無傷大雅的

19.push the edge of the envelope：〈口〉挑戰(zhàn)極限

20.dodgy [?d?d?i] adj. 〈英口〉可疑的，不可靠的

21.at the end of the day：經(jīng)過全面考慮之后；總而言之

22.cringeworthy [?kr?nd??w??（r）ei] adj. 使非常難堪或厭惡的