‘Selfie’—Word of the Year; “Braggie” not far Behind

A “selfie” is a self-portrait photograph, typically taken with a hand-held digital camera or camera phone held at arm's length, and then posted to one's social networks. Significantly, it is Oxford Dictionaries' “word of the year,” the word, they believe, that best reflects the mood of the times.

As a ‘what’s-happening-in-our-culture’ person, I took note of this otherwise innocuous event. The word selfie powerfully (and unashamedly) expresses our culture's obsession with self-promoting social media. And while “selfie” is the word of this year, a new popular term (and practice) is close behind—'braggie,' an image posted to social networks designed purely to show off or make friends jealous.

Being consumed with one's self-image is not new; but it has found a new avenue of expression. Are we not all latent selfies and braggies at heart? Social media is only unveiling the things hidden in the heart of mankind. If selfie reflects the mood of the times, maybe Oxford's choice is a cultural wake-up call.