The ability to take photos of ourselves – a seemingly frivolous and innocent act – has revolutionized the way we build our “I” and relationships with others, says psychoanalyst and philosopher Elsa Godard.
Psychologies: Does the selfie phenomenon deserve the two hundred pages you’ve dedicated to it?
Elsa Godard: The selfie marks a turning point in the history of thought. Together with him, we are moving from the “I think” society to the “I see, they see me” society. Instead of trying to explain, I show, I let you see. Selfies also influence how we build our “I” from a very early age. The psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan spoke of the “mirror stage”: this is the stage in the development of the child when he discovers his own reflection in the mirror and realizes the unity of his body, his being.
On a symbolic level, we have moved from the “mirror stage” to the “selfie stage”, to a situation where a human being can no longer conceive of himself without an avatar, a virtual “I”. This attitude towards virtuality is manifested in a simple action that we take when we post a selfie, which, although we do not realize it, is gradually transforming our everyday life. This is a vivid manifestation of the screen revolution, which has become an intermediary between “I” and “you”.
We want to show ourselves from a special point of view, falsely natural or frankly artificial. It’s a game of truth and lies
Moreover, unlike traditional photography, which is intended only for me and my loved ones, selfies are aimed at many viewers. Of course, you can take a selfie for yourself, out of a purely narcissistic impulse, but for the most part, selfies are taken to be shared, to be commented on in social networks. Until yesterday, it was the privilege of celebrities. Today, thanks to selfies, we have all turned into “brands” that need to be promoted.
The word “selfie” contains self, “yourself”. Is it possible to say that selfies reflect the desire to know ourselves, to find out who, what we look like?
Selfies are a way of self-presentation, they are put on display. Someone who pretends to want to reflect the spontaneity of the moment is not necessarily spontaneous and sincere. There is something of an optical illusion in selfies. We want to show ourselves from some special point of view, falsely natural or frankly artificial. This is a game of truth and lies. And we don’t know how we actually show ourselves when we post selfies on the Internet.
Our image is fixed on the screen and no longer belongs to us. We do not control what others see and think. We can always defend ourselves, protest (“No, you are wrong, I am not what you think”), but this “selfish”, virtual “I” triumphs over the real one. One can see this as a search for oneself, but it is difficult to imagine that such a search can lead to real self-knowledge.
But isn’t a selfie an attempt to just control the image of oneself?
Yes, among other things. Its strength, no doubt, lies in what it inspires us: we ourselves form an idea of ourselves, control it. But at the same time, it testifies to our need for others, in their views: how many “likes” and comments will I collect? By posting selfies, we are allegedly declaring that we are no longer worried about how we look from the outside. But “likes” are never enough to eradicate negative self-images.
Selfies are not always automatically satisfying, as many people think. It can become a source of anxiety. Selfie reminds me of nesting dolls that are nested one inside the other: it carries a whole set of actions, consequences, invisible at first glance, hidden one after another. Almost like multiple, contradictory, even elusive facets of our “I”.
You yourself are into selfies. Why?
First of all, it is a game that corresponds to our inherent need to communicate in the form of a game. I am also subject to this phenomenon: we prefer to show – with the help of photos, simply and quickly – rather than talk. Even though I still write a lot.
So many meanings for such a common gesture. How exactly have selfies changed our lives?
The selfie encourages us to capture the moment rather than live it, which reverses our relationship with reality. It appeared in all social strata and in all areas – in the economy, politics, culture. Politicians “selfie”. Advertising has been using selfies for a long time. Museums and galleries dedicate exhibitions to them. Teenagers communicate by sending each other their photos. In smartphones, selfies come to life, turn into small movies.
It seems that no one escaped the “selfie revolution”. The ubiquitous virtual technologies are changing our understanding of time and space, causing confusion, which reduces the ability to reflect. In this context, introspection and the search for answers to serious questions cease to be priorities …
That is, a selfie is dangerous for our “I”?
It’s okay if we take one selfie after another. The main thing is to realize the meaning of your actions, not to be alienated from the emotions contained in the present moment. I don’t judge anyone. Quite the opposite. I am not suggesting that in the Middle Ages thoughts or conversations were deeper.
My goal is to encourage reflection on what makes us human. And one of the foundations of our humanity is, for example, love, that is, a bodily, carnal connection with someone else. So I say, “Wake up, don’t let the screens block you from each other, don’t let this world of images consume you!”
About expert
Elsa Godard psychoanalyst, lecturer, columnist. He is the author of the essay “I selfie, therefore I am” (“Je selfie donc je suis”, Albin Michel, 2016) and the books “Treat yourself better” (“Être mieux avec soi-même”, Michel Lafont, 2012) and “Feeling humanity” (“Sentiment d’humanité”, Les Éditions Ovadia, 2015).