KATHMANDU, Aug 21:
“Aau darling timi ra ma ghumna jaula,
Angalo mari muskuraudai selfie hanaula”
This song rightly captures the mood of selfie-takers and the growing trend of clicking selfies. Selfies are viral these days regardless of the age of people. The selfie culture is gaining ground not only in the capital but also around the different corners of the country. And why won’t it be as it’s just a few swipes away your smartphone?
From ministers to actors, selfies won’t fail to cheer their moods. Social media like, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, all are flooded with the increasing madness of the trend. People take selfies at the huge malls, shopping centers, restaurants, tourist spots, offices and where not. Though smartphones are banned in educational institutions, students and surprisingly, their teachers too, can be found striking poses and posting them on the social media.
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Where can we not find people taking selfies? It doesn’t matter if it’s your cozy room or Singha Durbar; the influential culture has successfully transformed them into photo studios.
“I love taking selfies and uploading them on the social media. Apart from other posts, selfies are able to attract more feedback and likes”, shares Manisha Thapa a selfie enthusiast.
It’s obvious to take selfies during festivals and celebrations but even during the darkest hours, selfies still manage to occupy our news feed. Flashback: viral selfies taken at the Crematorium of Politicians and Actors.
This burning craze has also led to accidents. Even after the viral awareness regarding “selfie injuries”, people are yet not calm about their rising interest. “Though there are many cases of selfies leading to accidents, we haven’t kept an accurate record of the causalities caused by selfies”, Kathmandu Police spokesman Manav Joshi told Republica Online. He further added that there is no area in the country where taking a selfie has been restricted. “However, the number of deaths while taking a selfie in Nepal is few and far between, compared to that globally,” he added.
Apps like Retrica, Candy Camera for Selfie, B612, and Retro Selfie are some of the most downloaded applications because of the growing selfie culture. Along with the growing craze, selfie sticks are selling like hot cakes.
“As taking selfies has become a culture, it has helped my business to flourish”, said Rabindra Lama, a selfie stick seller on the pavements of Sundhara. Lawrence Lama, who was buying selfie stick from the same place said, “He has many varieties of selfie sticks to choose from at a reasonable price. So, it’s convenient to buy from him than from mobile shops.”
What remains of the tall Dharahara following the huge earthquake in April 2015 has now become a major selfie spot for the people. People have been thronging the remains of the Dharahara to take a selfie. Dinesh Khadka, who was taking a selfie near the historical site, shared “Selfies provide an opportunity to be independent while taking your photos at the places you want to be. It’s easy, fast, and more reliable. Thus uploading selfies on the social media has a different taste of fun.”
People take selfies with their smartphones in order to capture beautiful memories. The trend is an appreciable discovery of technology. However, there is a downside to the rising popularity of taking selfies.
As one is self-centered while taking selfies, besides capturing important moments, many don’t like it. People are so much into taking selfies that sometimes they leave out the important happenings around them. Some are even mentally or physically affected due to the hype. Also, some youths become upset when their selfies posted on the social media do not receive that many likes and comments. This leads them to work hard for a better selfie next time. Statistics show that, the number of those who lose their lives while taking selfies is on the rise in our neighboring country India. Mumbai Police has restricted people from taking selfies at 13 places in the city in a bid to control the number of casualties caused by selfies. Similar cases have been reported in Nepal as well. On 28 Feb 2016, a girl had drowned in the Narayani River while taking a selfie.
Thus, it’s important to pay more attention and be more careful while enjoying the benefits of the modern technology.
Photos by Prabin Koirala.
