Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Social Media
  3. News

Finding a needle in a haystack: These are the worst types of selfies

By

the worst type of selfies you can post selfie
Image used with permission by copyright holder
One of the social Web’s favorite things, for better or worse, is the selfie. It is the reincarnation of the much abhorred “MySpace pic,” and it has became an unstoppable and acceptable way of documenting our digital lives – instead of telling people what you’re doing or where you are or what your favorite something is, you pose while doing your (mundane) thing and intentionally apply a photo filter to your shot that will make it look vintage.

While we’ve all been guilty of the self-gratifying fad once or twice, the fact that there are categories of selfies is incredibly upsetting. Take for example this new gem:

bookshelfie
Image used with permission by copyright holder

For the love of… bookshelfies? Really? The bookshelfie is just the latest in a long line of horrible selfie subgenres. Here are the worst of them in all their horrible, self-loving glory.

Recommended Videos

1. The bathroom selfie

This is the worst of the worst – do I even have to explain why? – so let’s just get this out of the way and move on. Actually, looking at the example above should lead us right to…

2. The duckface selfie

Since MySpace – the social network responsible for this fiasco of a fad – has gone through a makeover and has moved on to greener pastures, there really is no reason for people to keep reliving this facial expression that is neither cute nor sexy. Cheeks are meant to be fat and puffy people, so stop sucking air in and making your lips look like an anus.

3. The fitting room selfie

I get why you would think this would be totally fine (you are, after all, only asking for an opinion because you’re having such a hard time choosing), but unless your Instagram is restricted to your innermost circle of friends, you shouldn’t catalog your shopping options. One, because most of your followers won’t give a damn, and two, you’re opening yourself up to a slew of not-so-appropriate comments:

fitting room selfie
Image used with permission by copyright holder

4. The winking selfie

Just because it’s not as adorable as you thought it would be. Really. Plus, we all know you aren’t actually winking because then the photo would have been blurred. You’re just sitting there with one eye closed like an idiot.

5. The see-food selfie

Nope, I don’t need to know how you process pasta. Just… no.

6. The crying selfie

Really? You’re miserable and inconsolable and the first thing you think of doing is documenting this heart-wrenching moment on Instagram? This will be terribly confusing for those who follow you – either they’re jerks for liking a photo of you crying (they’re pretty much liking the fact that you’re in pain) or they’re jerks for not liking your pic so you can feel validated and loved. Please, have some dignity and cry in the shower while sliding down the bathroom wall like a normal person. Also…crying about One Direction is… man, there are no words.

7. The sleeping selfie

Because you’re supposed to be sleeping. You lying liar.

Topics
Jam Kotenko
Jam Kotenko
Former Digital Trends Contributor
When she's not busy watching movies and TV shows or traveling to new places, Jam is probably on Facebook. Or Twitter. Or…
Bluesky barrels toward 1 million new sign-ups in a day
Bluesky social media app logo.

Social media app Bluesky has picked nearly a million new users just a day after exiting its invitation-only beta and opening to everyone.

In a post on its main rival -- X (formerly Twitter) -- Bluesky shared a chart showing a sudden boost in usage on the app, which can now be downloaded for free for iPhone and Android devices.

Read more
How to make a GIF from a YouTube video
woman sitting and using laptop

Sometimes, whether you're chatting with friends or posting on social media, words just aren't enough -- you need a GIF to fully convey your feelings. If there's a moment from a YouTube video that you want to snip into a GIF, the good news is that you don't need complex software to so it. There are now a bunch of ways to make a GIF from a YouTube video right in your browser.

If you want to use desktop software like Photoshop to make a GIF, then you'll need to download the YouTube video first before you can start making a GIF. However, if you don't want to go through that bother then there are several ways you can make a GIF right in your browser, without the need to download anything. That's ideal if you're working with a low-specced laptop or on a phone, as all the processing to make the GIF is done in the cloud rather than on your machine. With these options you can make quick and fun GIFs from YouTube videos in just a few minutes.
Use GIFs.com for great customization
Step 1: Find the YouTube video that you want to turn into a GIF (perhaps a NASA archive?) and copy its URL.

Read more
I paid Meta to ‘verify’ me — here’s what actually happened
An Instagram profile on an iPhone.

In the fall of 2023 I decided to do a little experiment in the height of the “blue check” hysteria. Twitter had shifted from verifying accounts based (more or less) on merit or importance and instead would let users pay for a blue checkmark. That obviously went (and still goes) badly. Meanwhile, Meta opened its own verification service earlier in the year, called Meta Verified.

Mostly aimed at “creators,” Meta Verified costs $15 a month and helps you “establish your account authenticity and help[s] your community know it’s the real us with a verified badge." It also gives you “proactive account protection” to help fight impersonation by (in part) requiring you to use two-factor authentication. You’ll also get direct account support “from a real person,” and exclusive features like stickers and stars.

Read more