When the term ‘selfie’ entered the Oxford English Dictionary in August 2013 (and subsequently named word of the year), the world knew that the concept was here to stay. Here to stay in a major way.
In the same month it entered the dictionary, Pope Francis appeared in the first Papal selfie:
@KofC epic #selfie #PopeFrancis pic.twitter.com/CLYduUpxDA
— Fabio M. Ragona (@FabioMRagona) August 29, 2013
In December 2013 Barack Obama and David Cameron got involved in the craze (not Michelle, mind): 
And even the Duchess of Cambridge wasn’t safe from the selfie during her April 2014 tour of Australasia:
selfie with kmiddy. #katemiddleton #royaltouraus #royalselfie #sydney A photo posted by Chloe Skafte (@chloeskafte) on
If you’re interested, here’s the official definition from the Oxford English Dictionary (the last sentence is the best thing we’ve read today):
The time has come to embrace the selfie. Here’s our guide to getting it right…
1. It’s about quality, not quantity.
Nobody wants to see the same photo of you and your bestie on their feed six times. Take as many as you like, but only post one. Then sit back and let the social media gratification role in.
2. “Lighting is everything.”
According to selfie queen Kim Kardashian, the secret to taking a good selfie is threefold; know your lighting, know your angle (always take it from high to low) and crop out anything you’re not happy with it. Advice straight from the horse’s mouth.
3. Duck face is optional.
When it comes to the pout, go big or go home. So if you’re going to do it, go full on duck face. You’ve got to commit to these things.
And in case you were wondering, yes, the term ‘duck face’ has also been added to the Oxford English Dictionary:
4. Always do a background check.
This cannot be stressed enough. A quick Google search of ‘people who should have checked their selfie backgrounds’ will lead you into a hilarious web of unfortunate shots – an example of which you’ll see below:
Image via thelisticles.com
5. Know when it’s appropriate.
From funerals and concentration camps, to sites of natural disasters and explosions, there’s been an alarming trend towards selfies taken at the worst imaginable moments. Before you whip out your phone, stop and think for a minute.
6. And when it comes to selfie sticks…
Just don’t do it to yourself. While we’re fully on board with the selfie, the selfie stick needs to go. It needs to go away. Very far away.
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