Has the ourSELFIE replaced the selfie?
Science says couple-selfies are changing humanity
Selfie-sticks, “trout pouts” and the iPhone 6 selfie-timer have positioned the selfie as part of the norm. Would you even glance at a couple taking a selfie anymore? The answer is no, and it shows that selfies are no longer just a fad. Research now suggests selfies will radically change humanity, and weirdly, the lovey-dovey “couple selfies” or the “OURSelfie” seem to be the key.
Recently 400 people answered a survey regarding their romantic behaviour on social media, as part of TheDiamondStore.co.uk and Venture Studios #BritainsGotLove campaign. The staggering and slightly crazy results confirm social media is a huge deal for us British love birds.
Firstly, a massive 78% ladies admitted to wringing their hands and despairing over when to change their Facebook “relationship status”. These days, relationships announced on Facebook indicate long-term commitment. Do it too soon and your new boyfriend will run screaming for the hills, causing you public newsfeed embarrassment as you quickly revert back to ‘single’. When a man does commit though, women aren’t shy to share it. 57% girls posted their engagement rings on Facebook before telling their best friend (although thankfully 89% did call their parents first).
Even for shy British blokes, the OURselfie is the new PDA (“public display of affection” for the internet-uninitiated). Although 6 out of 10 men won’t reply to a silly love-tweet (and 77% wouldn’t leave a public romantic message on their girlfriend’s profile), a whopping 78% blokes would post an “in-love” couple selfie. Perhaps the most amusing and embarrassing admission, though, was that girls will take at least eight selfies before uploading the best one. Never mind the airbrushing that goes on… just imagine the time ladies take stressing over their LO-FO or EARLYBIRD filters.
Dr. James Canton, the digital guru advising President Obama, told Forbes that selfies are inspiring a new “mind- blowing” future. He reckons that through selfies, ordinary people will soon be able to become self-made social media stars. Some will even make a good living from the “selfie industry”, he says. The phenomenon will have a positive impact on our economy and culture.
Some UK professionals are well aware of this trend. Gary Ingram, the CEO of The Diamond Store, says the:
“engagement ring selfies” their customers post on the company’s Facebook page “are what make our work worthwhile. We love that our customers interact with us through romantic selfies, there’s no better job satisfaction!”
Venture Studios’ Creative Director, Richard Mayfield, commented that:
“as a result of OURselfies we have seen a rise in couples coming into our studios for romantic shoots when they want truly professional results. We’ve actually had people proposing in the studio!”
This romantic trend is what inspired the two retailers to create their joint Britain’s Got Love campaign. Their hunt for Britain’s most “in-love” couple starts on 1 November and promises thousands of pounds in prizes, both in diamond jewellery and photography shoots, with winners announced on Valentine’s Day 2015.
So there you are. We Brits are notoriously bad at showing emotion, but next time you Tweet a romantic pic with your “bae”, don’t feel guilty. If Kimye can do an OURselfie to let everyone know they’re madly in love, so can we. Plus it’s not just about sharing romantic pics on Facebook anymore… our smoochie selfies are making history!
