tag:theconversation.com,2011:/ca-fr/topics/selfies-8036/articlesSelfies – La Conversation2024-03-19T18:17:38Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2243042024-03-19T18:17:38Z2024-03-19T18:17:38ZThe problem with shaming people for Auschwitz selfies<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582525/original/file-20240318-20-8ggsbm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=516%2C509%2C3734%2C2094&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Selfies are a regular part of tourism.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-beautiful-friends-tourist-couple-visiting-255447811">Marcos Mesa Sam Wordley/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Selfies have become the modern day equivalent of postcards, a way to share our travel experiences with family and friends on social media. It’s one thing to strike a goofy pose and snap a photo for Instagram on a beach or town square, but what if you are visiting a Holocaust memorial site?</p>
<p>Taking fun, playful, even silly selfies at <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9566811/">dark tourism</a> sites such as <a href="https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/45182/1/chernobyl-grenfell-tower-unpacking-the-rise-of-the-dark-tourism-tragedy-selfie">Chernobyl</a> Japan’s <a href="https://www.selondoner.co.uk/life/12122023-dark-tourism-in-london">“suicide forests”</a> or concentration camps has become a regular occurrence. It is widely regarded as controversial and distasteful.</p>
<p>In 2017, Israeli-German artist Shahak Shapira launched a project aimed at shaming visitors taking selfies at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Germany. The project was <a href="https://yolocaust.de/">called Yolocaust</a> – a portmanteau of internet slang Yolo (you only live once) and Holocaust. It juxtaposed historical photos of Nazi murder victims with visitors’ photos of themselves, juggling and jumping, posing and playing at the Berlin memorial. </p>
<p>Ever since, online vigilantes have been empowered to shame Holocaust-site selfie takers on social media. Many have used “yolocaust” in comments as shorthand for censure, judgement, and moral panic. </p>
<p>We <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02508281.2022.2153994">analysed hundreds</a> of these posts, captions and comments to see how the selfie-takers are perceived and punished by others online. We examined posts with location tags at the Auschwitz Memorial Museum in Poland and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin.</p>
<p>Based on our analysis, we think it may be better that young people engage with Holocaust sites in their own way, rather than not engaging at all. We also suggest that some commenters may be just as guilty as the selfie-takers, using their comments to show themselves in a positive light. Paradoxically, this is precisely what they are shaming the selfie-takers for doing: centering themselves, using the Holocaust as a prop. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/instagram-is-making-you-a-worse-tourist-heres-how-to-travel-respectfully-209272">Instagram is making you a worse tourist – here's how to travel respectfully</a>
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<p>Vigilantism and public shaming has been around for centuries – think angry villagers with pitchforks raised. Vigilantes take it upon themselves to prevent, investigate and punish perceived wrongdoings, usually without legal authority. </p>
<p>Online vigilantes (often called “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azv118">digilantes</a>”) punish others for perceived transgressions online. They act when they feel that someone has committed a crime or social wrongdoing on the internet as a form of <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2021/05/19/americans-and-cancel-culture-where-some-see-calls-for-accountability-others-see-censorship-punishment/">cancel culture</a>. There is, of course, a fine line between constructively questioning someone’s choices and publicly shaming them.</p>
<h2>Who gets shamed?</h2>
<p>We found that it wasn’t just any photo (we also looked at non-selfie tourist photos) that attracted online shaming. Some people were more likely to receive negative comments than others, depending on age, gender, cultural identity, photo pose, facial expression and the captions accompanying the photos. </p>
<p>Younger, more conventionally attractive people – especially women, and especially people posting in English or German – attracted many negative comments. In contrast, older and less conventionally “sexy” selfie-takers, men, and those posting in, for example, Italian or Russian tended to be ignored. </p>
<p>Some of these patterns appear related to how young women are often sexualised and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14680777.2018.1447345">demeaned online</a>, especially when it comes to the selfies of women holding their bodies in “model-like” poses. To some commenters, it appears more acceptable to shame those who society already deems unserious and flippant.</p>
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<img alt="View of the memorial, rows of gray concrete slabs in a city square, stretching out against a blue sky" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582520/original/file-20240318-20-u0vbnl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582520/original/file-20240318-20-u0vbnl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582520/original/file-20240318-20-u0vbnl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582520/original/file-20240318-20-u0vbnl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582520/original/file-20240318-20-u0vbnl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582520/original/file-20240318-20-u0vbnl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582520/original/file-20240318-20-u0vbnl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Berlin’s Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe is part of the urban architecture – and a popular spot for tourists.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/holocaust-memorial-berlin-germany-murdered-jews-537103609">Michaelangeloop/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Location was also important. While the Berlin Memorial saw plenty of tourist behaviour deemed “disrespectful” by commenters, it was rare to encounter selfie-taking at Auschwitz. This may because Auschwitz is a paid visitor attraction offering structured tours. </p>
<p>In contrast, the Berlin memorial is an art installation, always open and part of the streetscape. Its purpose and meaning may not be immediately apparent. This leaves room for the possibility that some Holocaust-site selfie-taking is an innocent, accidental part of tourism in Berlin.</p>
<p>Another predictor of negative comments was the captions on the photos we examined. If the caption was flippant or suggested a lack of serious engagement with Holocaust history and memory, the photo attracted more critical comments. Those who made some attempt to justify or even intellectualise their selfie-taking were often excused censure. </p>
<p>In one example, a young woman is pictured jumping between the concrete slabs of the Berlin memorial. But her picture is accompanied by a careful caption that explicitly questions whether her behaviour is ethical. </p>
<p>She writes, “One part of you comes out, simply wanting to explore the structure for what it is physically. Another part of you says that you cannot take part in anything that brings you joy here”. As the caption appears to neutralise the fun selfie, her post escapes critical comments. </p>
<h2>Think before you shame</h2>
<p>Although the Auschwitz Memorial Museum <a href="https://twitter.com/AuschwitzMuseum/status/1108337507660451841?lang=en">tells visitors not to take selfies</a>, and while playful selfie-taking seems disrespectful, we don’t think it should be banned, as some online commenters have called for.</p>
<p>We argue that it is more important to keep alive – however clumsily and imperfectly – the memory of the more than six million Jews and <a href="https://holocausteducation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/1.-Non-JewishVictimsOfNaziPersecutionMurder-Digital.pdf">millions of others</a> who were killed by the Nazis. Perhaps this is best done through people living their ordinary, complex, messy and often joyous lives, precisely as the Nazis’ victims could not. </p>
<p>We also think it is important to question the motives of digilantes themselves. Some seem to be using their comments to display their own moral superiority, rather than trying to educate or influence the behaviour of the selfie-takers. </p>
<p>Before you join the ranks of the digilantes and comment on something you think is disrespectful, think about why you’re doing it – these images, their captions and the comments show that there is often more nuance to “ethical” behaviour than can be captured in a photo.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224304/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>We analysed hundreds of selfies and found some people were shamed more than others.Craig Wight, Associated Professor in Tourism, Edinburgh Napier UniversityPhiona Stanley, Associate Professor of Intercultural Communications (Tourism and Languages), Edinburgh Napier UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2146812023-12-27T09:11:10Z2023-12-27T09:11:10ZSelfies and social media: how tourists indulge their influencer fantasies<p>A town in the US state of Vermont <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/vermont-town-banning-influencers-tourists-visiting-fall-foliage-rcna117413">closed its roads to tourists</a> in September 2023 after a social media tag sparked a swarm of visitors that overwhelmed the rural destination.</p>
<p>Videos on TikTok were seen by thousands and the hashtag #sleepyhollowfarm went viral, prompting a tourist rush to the pretty New England town of Pomfret, where visitors tried to take photos of themselves against the countryside backdrop. The town, famous for its fall foliage, criticised this as problematic and “influencer tourism”, part of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160738320300426">a travel trend</a> where a social media phenomenon can spark an overwhelming and unexpected rise in visitor numbers.</p>
<p><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0002764292036002005?casa_token=gQo4-8jeYdIAAAAA:Oq3Nf5gTtAFK7N00D1NgPO7_zl9ONlOEnzFZnojX6fX1nKXQWJZ4ERn52MlV3abn4fDN4_C4hJjq">Traditionally</a>, we think of tourists as travelling to gain new experiences. They look at sites, take photographs and collect souvenirs. However, this relationship between the tourist and touring is changing.</p>
<p>Driven by <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/how-instagram-changed-the-tourism-industry/a-65348690">24-hour access to social media</a>, some tourists now travel primarily to have an experience that <a href="https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/travel/discover/get-inspired/Global-Travel-Trends">looks good online</a>. Around 75% of people in a recent American Express survey said they had been inspired to visit somewhere by social media. Some tourists may be prompted to choose a destination by seeing a <a href="https://www.elle.com/culture/travel-food/a27561982/best-instagram-spots/">backdrop that is popular on social media or on television</a>, in order to create a high-status photo.</p>
<p>The expansion of social media and ubiquity of smartphone cameras has had a <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/13/7312">major impact on tourists’ behaviour</a>. This has also led to what’s been called a <a href="https://www.traveldailynews.com/column/articles/who-are-the-selfie-gaze-tourists/">selfie “tourist gaze”</a>, creating photos where the traveller is at the forefront of images rather than the destination.</p>
<p>Indeed, according to my research, increasingly, some tourists go somewhere <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160738320300426">to be spotted</a> – to be observed by others both online and in person at these destinations. </p>
<h2>Looking for drama</h2>
<p>Studies have highlighted how tourists <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261517715300388?casa_token=W51WkDKJSK8AAAAA:DG99dEWkyYKWIe6hNcLXR4KRApXV24QksHIzrRNcjVY3FngukDgIv9HLHG4o3NV4rqNJtdet">head for</a> particularly dramatic or luxurious destinations because of their social media links. Dubai, for example, with its bling culture and high-end shopping, has become a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/17/in-this-world-social-media-is-everything-how-dubai-became-the-planets-influencer-capital">playground for influencers</a> looking for a luxury backdrop to add to their celebrity-style image. </p>
<p>Some tourists aim to photograph themselves in prestigious locations, rather than taking shots of their <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/13567667221113079?casa_token=xbdUjWECQvMAAAAA:mc4rqleOqgjazW9DAYduW7LaPTu4KEw1DIfbPbWF0vl0efwNPC_GQ0U-HjltguwsIsCoO4ycXgyW7Q">travel surroundings</a>. Others choose to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160738320300426">act like mini-celebrities</a> and perform for the camera, expecting and wanting to be looked at by those they encounter – or even narrating their participation in extreme events.</p>
<p>One of these is the <a href="https://www.theadventurists.com/rickshaw-run/">Rickshaw Run</a>, a 2,000km race across India. This adventure tourism event encourages participants to dress up, act eccentrically and get noticed. Driving tuk-tuks around India, from Kerala to Darjeeling, vehicles are personalised with eye-catching designs. Many participants film themselves and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p3wd0ii2oQ">upload the results</a> to social media, and the events tend to create a significant following. For instance, this YouTube video series created by Rickshaw Run participants drew 3.6m subscribers:</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2p3wd0ii2oQ?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Taking part in the Rickshaw Run.</span></figcaption>
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<p>However, some of these tourist “performances” can cause controversy. For instance, <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/mexico-tourist-beaten-with-stick-for-climbing-chichen-itza-pyramid/EL5KGLB4CNC5ZONNZCKAMX3LLE/">climbing over</a> fragile archaeological sites in search of social media content might damage them. <a href="https://www.unilad.com/news/russian-tourist-deported-nude-photo-bali-064402-20230330">Posing for laughs</a> in areas considered sacred can offend. The reducing of cultures to <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/selfie-tourists-get-up-easter-islanders-noses-sgfxdtkj7">backdrops for social media content</a> can suggest a lack of interest in or respect for hosts by tourists. </p>
<p>My research points to a growth in <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09669582.2016.1263309">narcissism in society</a>, and connects this with what tourists desire from travel and how they act when travelling. This may be reflected in increased sense of entitlement and exhibitionism by tourists who aim to take photos in more difficult to reach locations or off-limit areas, for instance.</p>
<p>Selfie culture arguably promotes <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09528822.2015.1082339?casa_token=tbsXw1drBAEAAAAA:qfSfJBbHWi3x8MSVeoyHBIceP7W_8C55rVctylf-2zRBzx-aG_EeFwvTmHHsOdjQpMd8LVaUrjSo">self-involvement rather than social responsibility</a>. It is well established that tourists <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/1368350050408668198?casa_token=K4p5aZCN8t4AAAAA:96p7f3qNu2WndpE-C-D0rs5mJaOlnJ5F6P4iXQlWQopseMGWuJ_5TiaFmRggxFsEjrMCoAr14Kn4">can be selfish</a>, putting their own comfort and entertainment ahead of concerns about local issues. This is especially true of the super-rich. Private jet users <a href="https://www.transportenvironment.org/discover/private-jets-can-the-super-rich-supercharge-zero-emission-aviation/">are responsible for</a> half of global aviation emissions.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/sustainable-tourism-needs-to-be-built-with-the-help-of-locals-211296">Sustainable tourism needs to be built with the help of locals</a>
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<p>However, the desire to promote the individual and their values could be <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09669582.2016.1263309">harnessed to promote</a> more sustainable tourism. Those volunteering abroad might be motivated by the image enhancement opportunities of doing good, but they often offer something back to the social and natural environments of <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09669580903395030?casa_token=NvJorz8d1F4AAAAA:AXXTdW7ePimqFkWNg1W5w8umGCBwXIjus0WICRIoNZH_gsdr1hHomvMAQV21PYA2HkLwBGsO_Qus8g">their host destinations</a> in the process.</p>
<p>There are signs that there’s another tourism trend, with travellers looking for deep and meaningful experiences, and ecotourism could help provide those. The act of travelling in a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09669582.2020.1825458">more environmentally friendly way</a> could also be seen as a way to show off, and still provide selfie material. </p>
<p>The environmental pros and cons of tourist self-obsession might be <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09669582.2016.1263309">debatable</a>. However, self-fixation is arguably not good for tourists themselves. For example, the desire to “perform” on camera could affect people’s mental health, according to one <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10253866.2018.1467318?casa_token=wI7sETKEKJAAAAAA:ebds6fykbyHAGSXIk9iv6-tyziFSIvganp32S65hiX8KeWlaQDwhPxF_2tWEgkNqssqd-SCE-w_3Eg">study</a>.</p>
<p>Research has shown that <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14616688.2012.762691?casa_token=Jb9SzAGXBD0AAAAA:L5Q-HhPs9jWtfm0Zq4nB0uFHrZ3W8N7o1Liq0KAIRqC4ivEhKyEexEZN-ACoz1qzm7CMqD96zXOm">unexpected encounters help tourists to gain self-insight</a>. In addition, getting out of your comfort zone can lead to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213078020300074?casa_token=MkMbkdyr_cMAAAAA:LLu44kUbbsP5e-iW-kDdI7iSEo3WkLgH5IvKqb2txZA504q74J4OAhTuXIx8m90oDMSvuiq4Mg">rewarding personal growth</a>.</p>
<h2>A disconnect between self and place</h2>
<p>Taking yet more selfies could cut people off from their surroundings. In doing so, they could be <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016073831730097X?casa_token=tOaqrhfVQ-wAAAAA:uxb7djQMWjifvjjgPMZzbq2IQqlgoaGHzWoJkkGbQYQqkbZoeuOqLD91zqwBuWs1SfY7dcK4">less present in the travel experience itself</a>. Indeed, the <a href="https://english.elpais.com/usa/2021-10-29/rise-of-selfie-deaths-leads-experts-to-talk-about-a-public-health-problem.html">growing number</a> of <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/11/15/asia/french-man-selfie-death-intl-scli/index.html">selfie-related tourist deaths</a> might attest to a disconnect between self and place. A <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6131996/#:%7E:text=selfie-related%20deaths.-,From%20October%202011%20to%20November%202017%2C%20there%20have%20been%20259,respectively%2C%20in%202016%20and%202017">2018 report</a> estimated 259 deaths to have occurred while taking selfies between 2011-2017. </p>
<p>Other research suggests that individuals who are motivated by the desire to present a particular online image may be <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211973620301458?casa_token=-HkTUB7WC7cAAAAA:455BE0L2jP-CL1nD18__Ey3fj5GsLmYfKL_EB_P7IWa7lDddpJYIW3UIo5fUjg68e7Nvm7PUlTA#s0050">more likely to take risks</a> with their travel selfies, with potentially fatal consequences. </p>
<p>Tourists have always been somewhat self-obsessed. The 18th-century <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0160738385900027">Grand Tour</a>, a leisurely trip around Europe, allowed the wealthy to <a href="https://www.historyhit.com/what-was-the-grand-tour/">indulge themselves</a> in <a href="https://www.salon.com/2002/05/31/sultry/">ways</a> that might not have been socially acceptable back home. And at the beginning of the 21st century, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160738301000305?casa_token=C5eb2NJQvGsAAAAA:YrdY-xjJwBrUE9RjwyOJ3kRBS4-o7e5Jni5sluTCuZOrgnCULybO8EgJtQqsuSL7B5nZJwiH3Q#BIB37">academics worried about</a> self-involved backpacker communities in southeast Asia having little interest in mixing with local people. </p>
<p>What is different about smartphones and social media is that these allow some tourists to present such self-indulgent, and sometimes insensitive, tourism traits immediately. Wifi and mobile data mean that these tourists can travel with one eye on finding the perfect selfie backdrop – filtering and sharing their travel as it happens, responding to likes and comments.</p>
<p>For better or worse, living this influencer fantasy may have become an integral part of tourism for some time.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214681/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Brendan Canavan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The expansion of social media and ubiquity of smartphone cameras has had a major impact on tourists’ behaviour.Brendan Canavan, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, University of NottinghamLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2119012023-08-23T01:11:15Z2023-08-23T01:11:15ZTrampling plants, damaging rock art, risking your life: taking selfies in nature has a cost<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543845/original/file-20230822-21-4q628g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5751%2C3837&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In the <a href="https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/health/selfies-your-life-worth-few-likes">age of the selfie</a> taking photos of yourself has become an everyday occurrence. Half of all teenagers <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/11/28/teens-and-their-experiences-on-social-media/">regularly post selfies</a>. Driven by <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20563051221086241">social media algorithms</a>, many of us now flock to natural places for the best selfie background. </p>
<p>But what happens when our pursuit of the perfect selfie starts damaging nature – or <a href="https://preprints.jmir.org/preprint/47202">even ourselves</a>? Many people have been severely injured or <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-19/second-fatality-in-less-than-week-gibraltar-falls/101995266">killed</a> by taking risky selfies and photos in dangerous locations. Indian researchers <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6131996/">catalogued</a> 259 selfie-related deaths worldwide as of 2018. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/dangerous-selfies-arent-just-foolish-we-need-to-treat-them-like-the-public-health-hazard-they-really-are-200645">Dangerous selfies aren't just foolish. We need to treat them like the public health hazard they really are</a>
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<p>And the search for the perfect selfie can injure animals like <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/inspiration/rottnest-island-quokkas-the-big-problem-with-selfies-with-the-worlds-happiest-animal-20230220-h29yit.html">quokkas</a>, crayfish and glow-worms, protected plants and even <a href="https://www.des.qld.gov.au/our-department/news-media/mediareleases/selfish-selfies-put-carnarvon-rock-art-at-risk">First Nations rock art</a>. Selfies have even become a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/sep/28/canola-field-selfies-australian-farmers-warn-tourists-against-dangerous-social-media-trend">biosecurity threat.</a></p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/Ch1pxtkh2YV/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link\u0026igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<p>Spare a thought for our land managers, tasked with caring for the natural places sometimes despoiled for a photo and <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1742-6723.14219">emergency workers</a> entrusted with rescuing selfie-seekers. As <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13683500.2023.2248349">our new research has found</a>, Australia’s land managers are often at their wit’s end trying to keep people safe in nature. </p>
<p>The problem? Fences and warning signs don’t work well. Hardcore selfie-seekers jump the fence and perch on the edge of the cliff to get the shot. We may well need <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/272200-russia-selfie-police-twitter/">selfie educational campaigns</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/instagram-is-making-you-a-worse-tourist-heres-how-to-travel-respectfully-209272">Instagram is making you a worse tourist – here's how to travel respectfully</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Selfies make a new brand of tourist</h2>
<p>Social media tourism is drastically changing who and how many of us go to places such as <a href="https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/lookouts/figure-eight-pools">Figure Eight Pools</a> in Sydney’s Royal National Park or <a href="https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/wooroonooran-josephine-falls">Josephine Falls</a> not far from Cairns. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp7E6KjPZIf/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link\u0026igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<p>As one land manager told us: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>We noticed a massive increase in the number of people, and the kind of visitor that we were getting. We’re getting a lot more people who are maybe urban based, didn’t spend a lot of time in national parks, weren’t particularly familiar with the concept of bushwalking</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Land managers told us these new kinds of tourist were motivated to seek out photos and selfies. The problem was, many were willing to ignore warning signs or bans on drones to get their photos.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>You know, it’s all just to get that photo, really. That’s it. People definitely, more so now than ever, I think, are coming for the photo. They’re not coming for a bushwalk and to look around at the trees and to experience nature. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Drone use is common, even when it is banned. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>They break the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) rules [on drones], every flipping day, they annoy the people, the guests, the wildlife […] I’ve got eight crashed drones in the park currently [risking] environmental harm to the park if they catch fire or the batteries leak in the World Heritage area, in the creeks where the rare crayfish are.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>For other land managers, the challenge is the damage to the environment. Plants get trampled, wildlife disturbed, and in some cases, delicate ecosystems suffer long-term damage.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Someone goes swimming, puts it on social media and suddenly there’s 100 people a day coming to go wild swimming where the platypus and the glow-worms live. And in a wet year, suddenly all the vegetation around the rock pool is trampled, it turns into a muddy mess</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Mainstream tourism bodies can make the problem worse by promoting social media hotspot locations. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I was horrified the other day noticing promotions for these Figure Eight pools. I just thought, “You’ve gotta be kidding me. How many times have we told the tourism industry to stop it?”</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Safe selfies?</h2>
<p>Perhaps the thorniest challenge for land managers is accommodating increased interest while keeping people safe. That’s because selfie-seekers sometimes deliberately avoid safety measures like fences. As one land manager told us: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>They want to get a photo without a fence in it. Look at me with my toes over the edge of the crumbly sandstone cliff.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Other land managers are working to assist this new demand by reshaping nature to make better scenery – and keep visitors safer. At Moran Falls in Queensland’s Lamington National Park, a famous view across the gorge had been obscured by vegetation. That drove some visitors to jump the fence at the viewing platform and stand directly on top of a very tall cliff. </p>
<p>As a solution, land managers got an arborist to trim the trees blocking the view and then use the fallen limbs to hide the goat track made by selfie-seekers. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Once we improved the view and the photo shot, people were happy to take the photo from the platform. But when the view was impeded from the platform, they would undertake risky behaviour and stand on top of a 300ft cliff, right on the edge, to get the photo. </p>
</blockquote>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/CKlZstMn54_/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link\u0026igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<p>Why do traditional measures like signs and warnings often prove ineffective? The answer may lie in social validation. For many, the risk seems <a href="https://scholars.fhsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4234&context=theses">worth the reward</a> if it means garnering admiration on social media.</p>
<p>Nature-based content on platforms like Instagram and TikTok often performs very well, giving other would-be influencers the incentive to seek out new locations. </p>
<h2>What can we do?</h2>
<p>Land managers have repeatedly told us signs aren’t working for these new tourists. As a result, there’s an urgent need to communicate risk and safety information in novel ways which resonate. </p>
<p>The tools land managers have are often preventive – barriers, boardwalks and signs, coupled with punitive measures such as fines. But this isn’t working. </p>
<p>Better risk communication, as New South Wales authorities are doing with time-sensitive risk warnings for Figure Eight Pools, may help. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544136/original/file-20230823-19-czywog.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="risk communication" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544136/original/file-20230823-19-czywog.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544136/original/file-20230823-19-czywog.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=686&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544136/original/file-20230823-19-czywog.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=686&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544136/original/file-20230823-19-czywog.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=686&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544136/original/file-20230823-19-czywog.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=862&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544136/original/file-20230823-19-czywog.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=862&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544136/original/file-20230823-19-czywog.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=862&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Figure Eight Pools are on a rock platform which is inundated at high tide. This risk communication approach has promise.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/lookouts/figure-eight-pools">NSW National Parks and Wildlife</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Our research <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13683500.2023.2248349">points to</a> the need for fresh strategies to tackle social media hotspots and selfie-seeking by understanding what drives social-media tourists, improving risk communication and developing partnerships.</p>
<p>This problem has been created by the confluence of social media and human psychology. It may well be that the solution lies in the same intersection. </p>
<p>Responsible selfie and tourism campaigns on platforms like TikTok and Instagram could be a start. </p>
<p>After all, it’s not that national parks shouldn’t have visitors. It’s finding ways to deal with this spurt of interest which doesn’t harm people - or nature.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211901/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Samuel Cornell receives funding from Meta Platforms, Inc. His research is also supported by a UNSW Sydney, University Postgraduate Award, as well as project funding from the Royal Life Saving Society - Australia. He is affiliated with Surf Life Saving Australia and Surf Life Saving NSW.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amy Peden receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council. She maintains an honorary affiliation with Royal Life Saving - Australia as a Senior Research Fellow. This project receives funding from Meta Platforms, Royal Life Saving Society - Australia and Surf Life Saving Australia. </span></em></p>It’s not always “worth it for the ‘gram”. People risk life, limb, and the environment for a selfie – and land managers can’t keep up.Samuel Cornell, PhD Candidate, School of Population Health, UNSW SydneyAmy Peden, NHMRC Research Fellow, School of Population Health & co-founder UNSW Beach Safety Research Group, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2092722023-07-25T11:54:59Z2023-07-25T11:54:59ZInstagram is making you a worse tourist – here’s how to travel respectfully<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539002/original/file-20230724-519-2m8lk2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=82%2C49%2C5399%2C3596&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/happy-man-taking-selfie-selfportrait-bali-1908620083">DavideAngelini/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Travel is back in full swing this summer, and so is bad behaviour by tourists. </p>
<p>Popular destinations have seen an uptick in incidents involving tourists in <a href="http://darwin.cnn-travel-vertical.ui.cnn.io/travel/article/tourists-behaving-badly/index.html?gallery=0">recent years</a>. Reports of a <a href="https://www.euronews.com/culture/2023/06/30/hunt-for-tourist-who-carved-name-in-colosseum-intensifies">man defacing</a> the Colosseum in Rome shows that behaviour has deteriorated even in places that rarely had problems in the past.</p>
<p>What’s behind these abhorrent acts? One answer, <a href="https://ertr-ojs-tamu.tdl.org/ertr/article/view/541/178">my research shows</a>, is social media. Instagram and TikTok have made it easy to find “hidden gem” restaurants and discover new destinations to add to your bucket list. But this democratisation of travel has had other consequences.</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Quarter life, a series by The Conversation" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><em><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/quarter-life-117947?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">This article is part of Quarter Life</a></strong>, a series about issues affecting those of us in our twenties and thirties. From the challenges of beginning a career and taking care of our mental health, to the excitement of starting a family, adopting a pet or just making friends as an adult. The articles in this series explore the questions and bring answers as we navigate this turbulent period of life.</em></p>
<p><em>You may be interested in:</em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/is-the-barefoot-boy-summer-trend-bad-for-your-feet-experts-explain-208901?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">Is the ‘barefoot-boy summer’ trend bad for your feet? Experts explain</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-make-your-next-holiday-better-for-the-environment-203445?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">How to make your next holiday better for the environment</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/bed-rotting-the-social-media-trend-the-victorians-would-love-especially-writer-elizabeth-gaskell-209725?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">Bed rotting: the social media trend the Victorians would love, especially writer Elizabeth Gaskell</a></em></p>
<hr>
<p>Because people now see their social media connections from their home environment travelling in an exotic location, they assume (consciously or not) that behaviour they ordinarily carry out at home is also acceptable in that holiday destination. </p>
<p>This is known as <a href="https://fs.blog/mental-model-social-proof/">social proof</a>, when we look to the behaviours of others to inform our own actions. People are likely to act more <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0013916508319448">hedonistically while on holiday</a>. Now, travellers also look to social media for proof of how others behave. If their peers from home are throwing caution to the wind while on holiday, this can cause a domino effect of bad behaviour.</p>
<p>I’ve identified other bad travel attitudes and habits that have emerged as a result of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212571X23000045?via%3Dihub">social media-driven tourism</a>. </p>
<p>For example, the <a href="https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/identifiable-victim-effect">identifiable victim effect</a>, which explains how people are more likely to sympathise with victims of tragedies when they know who those victims are. Because tourists are often sheltered in hotels and resorts away from local communities, they might (wrongly) think that travelling to a place far from home is an opportunity for consequence-free bad behaviour. They underestimate or ignore the effect their actions can have on locals or the economy. </p>
<h2>The Instagram effect</h2>
<p>When people travel to a beautiful place, the temptation to post photos and videos to social media is high. But, as <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13683500.2022.2086451">I have argued</a>, this creates a cycle that contributes to more self-indulgent travel. </p>
<p>First, tourists see their friends post photos from a place (revealed through geotags). They then want to visit the same places and take the same sorts of photos of themselves there. Eventually they post them on the same social networks where they saw the initial photos.</p>
<p>Being able to travel to and post about visiting the same places as one’s social group or online connections can be a form of <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10548408.2018.1499579?casa_token=mVH_AlLB_4kAAAAA%3Ahdz29HMEh5aCiK4TopW8WBS3lY2ZJ2n6CZQWhL5aH7d-ZK3lpsvUlowHtdy4Pa-e7ergNJgcGfI">social status</a>. But it means that, in some cases, travellers will put more energy into creating content than they will to exploration, discovery or being respectful to local customs.</p>
<h2>Hotspots respond</h2>
<p>Bali is one destination with a reputation for social media-induced tourism. The photogenic island, replete with yoga retreats, is a huge draw for influencers.</p>
<p>In response to tourist misbehaviour, Bali <a href="https://thebalisun.com/balis-much-anticipated-list-of-dos-and-donts-for-tourists-revealed/">introduced new guidelines</a> for visitors in June 2023. These include rules about proper behaviour in the sacred temples, around the island and with locals, and respecting the natural environment. </p>
<p>Tourists now need a <a href="https://thebalisun.com/bali-warns-tourists-must-have-international-driving-license-to-drive-scooters-on-the-island">licence</a> for motorbike rentals, and may not set foot on any mountain or volcano in Bali due to their sacred nature. Travellers must only stay in registered hotels and villas (which will impact a number of Airbnb properties). Bali has introduced a “tourist task force” to enforce the restrictions, through raids and investigations if necessary.</p>
<p>One new guideline is to not act aggressively or use harsh words towards locals, government officials or other tourists both while in Bali, or, notably, online. This speaks to the role of social media as part of the problem when it comes to bad tourist behaviour.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Crowds of tourists clamoring to take a photo of the Mona Lisa in Paris' Louvre museum." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539024/original/file-20230724-21-593w4v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539024/original/file-20230724-21-593w4v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539024/original/file-20230724-21-593w4v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539024/original/file-20230724-21-593w4v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539024/original/file-20230724-21-593w4v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539024/original/file-20230724-21-593w4v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539024/original/file-20230724-21-593w4v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Getting the perfect shot.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/paris-france-april-3-2015-tourists-1296916258">Windcolors/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Other destinations have taken similar steps. <a href="https://pledge.visiticeland.com">Iceland</a>, <a href="https://mauitourism.org/Videos/malama-pledge.htm">Hawaii</a>, <a href="https://palaupledge.com">Palau</a>, <a href="https://www.tiakinewzealand.com">New Zealand</a>, <a href="https://costarica-sanctuary.com/make-it-happen/">Costa Rica</a> and others have adopted pledges for visitors to abide by local laws and customs. Campaigns like Switzerland’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXcBGfXXL4w">No Drama</a>, Austria’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pgn3Y7kvJXE">See Vienna – not #Vienna</a>, Finland’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2019/oct/17/finland-be-more-like-finn-campaign-tourism-pledge-initiatives">Be more like a Finn</a> and the Netherlands’ <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dariosabaghi/2023/03/31/amsterdam-launches-stay-away-campaign-targeting-wild-party-behavior-of-young-british-tourists/">How to Amsterdam</a> are aimed at attracting well-behaved tourists.</p>
<p>Where such efforts aren’t successful, some places such as Thailand’s famous Maya Bay have taken it further and fully closed to tourists, <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/maya-bay-thailand-recovery-c2e-spc-intl/index.html">at least temporarily</a>. </p>
<h2>Travel respectfully</h2>
<p>Remember you are a guest of the host communities when you travel. Here are some ways to ensure that you will be asked back. </p>
<p><strong>1. Do your research</strong></p>
<p>Even if you’re a seasoned traveller, you may not realise the impact your actions have on local communities. But a bit of information – from your own research or provided by local governments – might be enough to help you act more appropriately. Before you go, look up guidelines or background information on local cultural or safety norms. </p>
<p>Whether you agree with the customs or not is irrelevant. If it is a more conservative place than you are used to, you should be mindful of that – unlike the two influencers who were <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/08/16/bali-warns-misbehaving-tourists-will-sent-home-instagram-influencers/">arrested</a> for explicit behaviour in a temple in Bali.</p>
<p><strong>2. Put down your phone…</strong></p>
<p>Research shows that when travelling, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S016073831730097X">people can become alienated</a> from their surroundings if they are more focused on their devices than the destination. </p>
<p>Often the most memorable travel experiences will be when you have a meaningful connection with someone, or learn something new that you’ve never experienced before. That becomes harder if you’re constantly looking at your phone. </p>
<p><strong>3. …or use your influence for good</strong></p>
<p>In popular “Instagram v reality” <a href="https://matadornetwork.com/read/instagram-vs-reality-tuscany-switzerland/">posts</a>, influencers are revealing the huge crowds and queues behind the most Instagrammable locations.</p>
<p>Showing the less-than-glamorous conditions behind those iconic shots could influence your own social media connections to rethink their personal travel motivations – are they just going somewhere to get the perfect selfie? Having more evidence of these conditions circulating online could lead to a larger societal shift away from social media-induced tourism.</p>
<p>If you have the urge to post, try to promote smaller businesses and make sure you are demonstrating proper (and legal) etiquette on your holiday.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/209272/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lauren A. Siegel does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>When people see their friends behaving selfishly on holiday, they might assume they can do the same.Lauren A. Siegel, Lecturer, University of GreenwichLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2006452023-03-03T00:47:20Z2023-03-03T00:47:20ZDangerous selfies aren’t just foolish. We need to treat them like the public health hazard they really are<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512828/original/file-20230301-17-w9p7rl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=1%2C11%2C997%2C735&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/tourist-man-on-waterfall-background-holds-679811122">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Selfies have been called everything from an <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/11/selfies-are-art/281772/">artform</a> to <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-46188454">narcissistic</a> and a sign of a <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/06/21/dark-side-selfies-modern-obsession-damaging-mental-health-young/">dysfunctional society</a>.</p>
<p>They can <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6131996/">also kill</a>.</p>
<p>When people go to extreme lengths to take an image to share on social media – perhaps in remote or picturesque locations – they can risk their lives.</p>
<p>So we need to move beyond describing selfies as a social phenomenon, fuelled by the rise of smartphones and social media.</p>
<p>We need to treat dangerous selfies as the public health hazard they really are.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/Bkrpg2pH4dv","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<h2>More deaths, year after year</h2>
<p>Certain picturesque locations have been linked to selfie deaths. This includes <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/02/yosemite-couple-death-selfie-photography-travel-blog-taft-point">Yosemite National Park</a> in California. In Australia, we’ve seen people die at places including <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/aug/17/sydney-cliff-fatality-woman-falls-to-death-at-popular-selfie-spot">cliffs</a>, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-28/call-to-close-access-to-social-media-favourite-figure-8-pools/10853854">natural pools</a> and <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11770353/Gibraltar-Falls-tragedy-Patrick-Prevett-second-days-die-popular-waterfall-near-Canberra.html">waterfalls</a>.</p>
<p>These are not isolated incidents.</p>
<p><a href="https://academic.oup.com/jtm/article-abstract/29/5/taab170/6404466?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=false">One study</a> found 379 people worldwide were killed due to selfies between 2008 and 2021, with even more injured. Incidents are more likely in young adults, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6131996/">particularly males</a>.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1038169540809641986"}"></div></p>
<p>Many are <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26858274/">travellers or tourists</a> (particularly in Australia and the United States). In Australia and the US, selfie takers tend to be injured or killed while solo, and commonly in locations very difficult for emergency services to access. In countries such as India and Pakistan, selfie takers are more likely to die, tragically, as a group, especially near bodies of water, such as lakes. </p>
<p>Researchers have called for the introduction of “<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17457300.2016.1278240">no selfie zones</a>” around hotspots, such as tall buildings. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/07/a-selfie-with-a-weapon-kills-russia-launches-safe-selfie-campaign">Russian</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jun/26/goa-india-no-selfie-zones-coast-deaths">Indian</a> authorities have introduced these. Russia has launched a “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/07/a-selfie-with-a-weapon-kills-russia-launches-safe-selfie-campaign">safe selfie</a>” guide.</p>
<p>But it’s not clear how effective these strategies have been. If anything, selfie incidents seem to be <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31895098/">increasing globally.</a> </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/is-that-selfie-really-worth-it-why-face-time-with-wild-animals-is-a-bad-idea-96272">Is that selfie really worth it? Why face time with wild animals is a bad idea</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Media calls these foolish, selfish</h2>
<p>The media often portrays people involved in selfie incidents as <a href="https://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/news-analysis/selfie-deaths/">foolish</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/10/selfish-selfie-takers-spark-trevi-fountain-fisticuffs">selfish</a>.</p>
<p>This seems to confirm <a href="https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/health/selfies-your-life-worth-few-likes">our research</a> showing media reports often blame the victim. Reports almost never provide safety information.</p>
<p>But taking selfies is a normal part of everyday life for millions of people. We need to stop judging people who are taking risky selfies, and instead see risky selfies as a public health issue.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512830/original/file-20230301-29-tustlj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Figure Eight Pools, Royal National Park, NSW" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512830/original/file-20230301-29-tustlj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512830/original/file-20230301-29-tustlj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512830/original/file-20230301-29-tustlj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512830/original/file-20230301-29-tustlj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512830/original/file-20230301-29-tustlj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512830/original/file-20230301-29-tustlj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512830/original/file-20230301-29-tustlj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">People have died taking selfies at Figure Eight Pools, Royal National Park, NSW.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/figure-eight-pool-royal-national-park-2192898545">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Why is this a public health issue?</h2>
<p>We’ve had similar problems with other activities we now see as
public health hazards. These include <a href="https://www.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/50-years-of-mandatory-seatbelts-saving-lives-nsw">driving without a seatbelt</a>, riding a <a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-be-fooled-keeping-bike-helmets-is-best-for-health-661">bicycle without a helmet</a>, smoking cigarettes or excessive alcohol consumption. These are all examples people once considered “normal”, which we now see as risky. Taking dangerous selfies needs to be added to that <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6131996/">list</a>.</p>
<p>By thinking of these selfies as a public health issue, we move away from victim blaming and instead need to effectively communicate risk to selfie-takers.</p>
<p>One example relates to the popular selfie hotspot, Figure Eight Pools in the Royal National Park, New South Wales, where people can be overwhelmed by big, “<a href="https://www.theillawarraflame.com.au/science--nature/dr-rips-science-of-the-surf">freak</a>” waves. Authorities have produced a <a href="https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/lookouts/figure-eight-pools">colour-coded risk rating</a> that takes into account ocean and weather conditions. People can go online to see if the risk of going to the pools is “very low” to “extreme”.</p>
<p>If we think of these risky selfies as a public health issue we also move towards education and prevention.</p>
<p>Signs at selfie hotspots are one thing. But we know signs are often ignored, or simply not seen.</p>
<p>So we need to better communicate safety messages to selfie takers when and how they will actually take notice.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au/news/2021/12/selfies--is-your-life-worth-a-few--likes--">Our research with Instagram</a> aims to do this by communicating directly to selfie takers through the Instagram app. The aim is to tailor safety messaging to Instagram users by geolocating them with known risky selfie spots – sending users a safety alert in real time. </p>
<p>With the right communication strategy, we know we can reduce the number of these entirely avoidable tragedies.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/travelgram-live-tourist-snaps-have-turned-solo-adventures-into-social-occasions-124583">#travelgram: live tourist snaps have turned solo adventures into social occasions</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>5 tips to stay safe when taking selfies in nature</h2>
<p><strong>1. Think about weather and water conditions</strong></p>
<p>Weather and coastal conditions can change rapidly. Just because the weather and waves don’t appear dangerous when you start your selfie journey, they might be when you get there. <a href="https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/lookouts/figure-eight-pools">Check before you go</a>, avoid bad weather, and keep a close eye on tidal and wave conditions.</p>
<p><strong>2. Don’t walk past safety signs and physical barriers</strong></p>
<p>Warning signs are there to provide life-saving information. Pay attention to signs and heed their advice. Don’t jump or go around any physical barriers blocking access. They are likely there for a good reason.</p>
<p><strong>3. Stay on the designated path</strong></p>
<p>Staying on paths and trails is safest and also does fragile ecosystems a big favour.</p>
<p><strong>4. Don’t get too close to the edge. Be aware of crumbling edges</strong></p>
<p>Don’t trust cliff edges and be aware of unstable ground. Cliff edges are naturally eroding and your extra weight doesn’t help. <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/bells-beach-four-people-injured-after-beach-cliff-collapses-near-melbourne/7cba3fa1-6a68-4b33-b6db-1acd1a94b68c">People have died</a> from cliff edges crumbling away while standing on them.</p>
<p><strong>5. No amount of ‘likes’ is worth your life</strong></p>
<p>Consider your motivations for taking selfies and using social media. Studies show spending time in nature is <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-44097-3">good for our health</a>. But the world looks better when not viewed through a screen.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/200645/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Samuel Cornell receives funding from Meta Platforms, Inc. His research is also supported by a UNSW University Postgraduate Award, as well as project funding from the Royal Life Saving Society - Australia. He is affiliated with Surf Life Saving Australia and Surf Life Saving NSW.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amy Peden receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and project funding from Meta Platforms Inc, Royal Life Saving Society - Australia and Surf Life Saving Australia. She is affiliated with the Royal Life Saving Society - Australia. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rob Brander receives funding from Meta Platforms Inc, Surf Life Saving Australia, Surfing NSW, Randwick City Council and Waverley Council. </span></em></p>People have died taking selfies at cliffs, waterfalls and natural pools. We need to try a different approach to reducing the risk.Samuel Cornell, PhD Candidate, UNSW Beach Safety Research Group, School of Population Health, UNSW SydneyAmy Peden, NHMRC Research Fellow, School of Population Health & co-founder UNSW Beach Safety Research Group, UNSW SydneyRob Brander, Professor, UNSW Beach Safety Research Group, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1558152021-05-25T12:12:58Z2021-05-25T12:12:58ZNarcissistic people aren’t just full of themselves – new research finds they’re more likely to be aggressive and violent<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/386187/original/file-20210224-21-1bi8v6e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=23%2C7%2C5224%2C3493&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">People who think they are superior have no qualms about attacking those they regard as inferior. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/man-looking-in-bathroom-mirror-adjusting-necktie-royalty-free-image/639549263">Sigrid Olsson/PhotoAlto Agency RF Collections via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/research-brief-83231">Research Brief</a> is a short take about interesting academic work.</em></p>
<h2>The big idea</h2>
<p>We recently reviewed 437 studies of narcissism and aggression involving a total of over 123,000 participants and found narcissism is related to a <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2021-48823-001">21% increase in aggression and an 18% increase in violence</a>.</p>
<p>Narcissism is defined as “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1088868316685018">entitled self-importance</a>.” The term narcissism comes from the mythical <a href="https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Mortals/Narcissus/narcissus.html">Greek character Narcissus</a>, who fell in love with his own image reflected in still water. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470561119.socpsy002023">Aggression is defined</a> as any behavior intended to harm another person who does not want to be harmed, whereas <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470561119.socpsy002023">violence is defined</a> as aggression that involves extreme physical harm such as injury or death. </p>
<p>Our review found that individuals high in narcissism are especially aggressive when provoked, but are also aggressive when they aren’t provoked. Study participants with high levels of narcissism showed high levels of physical aggression, verbal aggression, spreading gossip, bullying others and even displacing aggression against innocent bystanders. They attacked in both a hotheaded and coldblooded manner. Narcissism was related to aggression in males and females of all ages from both Western and Eastern countries.</p>
<p>People who think they are superior seem to have no qualms about attacking others whom they regard as inferior. </p>
<h2>Why it matters</h2>
<p>Research shows <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1088868316685018">everyone has some level of narcissism</a>, but some people have higher levels than others. The higher the level of narcissism, the higher the level of aggression. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/386191/original/file-20210224-15-1lgjx4b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman puckers her lips while taking a selfie." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/386191/original/file-20210224-15-1lgjx4b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/386191/original/file-20210224-15-1lgjx4b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/386191/original/file-20210224-15-1lgjx4b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/386191/original/file-20210224-15-1lgjx4b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/386191/original/file-20210224-15-1lgjx4b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/386191/original/file-20210224-15-1lgjx4b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/386191/original/file-20210224-15-1lgjx4b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A dark side to selfies?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/woman-puckers-up-for-a-selfie-royalty-free-image/477609082">CREATISTA/iStock via Getty Images Plus</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>People high in narcissism tend to be <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2011-16529-030">bad relationship partners</a>, and they also tend to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/per.2114">discriminate against others</a> and to be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15298868.2019.1645730">low in empathy</a>. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, narcissism is on the rise, and social media might be a contributing factor. Recent research found people who posted large numbers of selfies on social media <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181109112655.htm">developed a 25% rise in narcissistic traits</a> over a four-month period. A 2019 survey by the smartphone company Honor found that <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/strike-a-pose-selfies-are-more-popular-than-ever-11890289">85% of people are taking more pictures of themselves than ever before</a>. In recent years, social media has largely evolved from keeping in touch with others <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2019/12/19/end-decade-heres-how-social-media-has-evolved-over-10-years/4227619002/">to flaunting for attention</a>.</p>
<h2>What other research is being done</h2>
<p>One very important line of work investigates how people become narcissistic in the first place. For example, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1420870112">one study</a> found that when parents overvalue, overestimate and overpraise their child’s qualities, their child tends to become more narcissistic over time. Such parents think their child is more special and entitled than other children. This study also found that if parents want their child to have healthy self-esteem instead of unhealthy narcissism, they should give unconditional warmth and love to their child.</p>
<p>Our review looked at the link between narcissism and aggression at the individual level. But the link also exists at the group level. Research has found that “collective narcissism” – or “my group is superior to your group” – <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/a0016904">is related to intergroup aggression</a>, especially when one’s in-group (“us”) is threatened by an out-group (“them”).</p>
<h2>How we do our work</h2>
<p>Our study, called a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470743386">meta-analytic review</a>, combined data from multiple studies investigating the same topic to develop a conclusion that is statistically stronger because of the increased number of participants. A meta-analytic review can reveal patterns that aren’t obvious in any one study. It is like looking at the entire forest rather than at the individual trees.</p>
<p>[<em>Get facts about coronavirus and the latest research.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/the-daily-3?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=coronavirus-facts">Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter.</a>]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/155815/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A meta-analysis of 437 studies found that egomaniacs aren’t just a bummer – they can be dangerous, too.Brad Bushman, Professor of Communication and Psychology, The Ohio State UniversitySophie L. Kjaervik, PhD Student in Communication, The Ohio State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1574492021-03-30T08:49:02Z2021-03-30T08:49:02ZSelfie culture: what your choice of camera angle says about you<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/391936/original/file-20210326-17-14100gt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C1311%2C2630%2C1653&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Camera angles and selfie composition are proxies for how you might position yourself in a room </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://pxhere.com/en/photo/794140">PxHere</a>, <a class="license" href="http://artlibre.org/licence/lal/en">FAL</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Over the past decade, selfies have become a mainstay of popular culture. If <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/jul/14/how-selfies-became-a-global-phenomenon">the #selfie hashtag first appeared in 2004</a>, it was the release of the iPhone 4 in 2010 that saw the pictures go viral. Three years later, the Oxford English Dictionary crowned “selfie” word of the year. </p>
<p>We use selfies for <a href="https://iafor.org/journal/iafor-journal-of-cultural-studies/volume-2-issue-2/article-5/">a variety of purposes</a>, ranging from the social to the professional. <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/304861/us-adults-shared-selfie-generation/">According to a 2018 survey</a>, 82% of US adults under 34 had posted a selfie on social media. Until the pandemic hit pause on public gatherings, an entire industry was dedicated to generating selfie <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/26/arts/color-factory-museum-of-ice-cream-rose-mansion-29rooms-candytopia.html">events</a> and <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/selfie-factories-instagram-museum/">museums</a>. </p>
<p>Given this tremendous reach and popularity, the last four years have seen the phenomenon begin to <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/4557/understanding-selfies">receive attention</a> within the cognitive sciences. As recent studies have shown, <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0238588">including a recent one I led</a>, the way we take selfies – and the specific camera angles we choose – varies depending on what we intend to do with them.</p>
<h2>The left bias</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/243271a0">Since the 1970s</a> we have known that in historical western portraiture, artists favoured depicting the left cheek of their sitters, particularly when painting women. A 2017 study showed that when it comes to taking selfies, <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01460/full">people tend to angle their smartphone in order to photograph their own left cheek too</a>. </p>
<p>Patterns have also been detected in the way selfie-takers position their cameras vertically. <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00604/full">Another 2017 study</a> of selfies posted on Tinder found that when looking to hook up, women most often choose to shoot their selfies from above, and men from below. </p>
<p>My colleagues and I looked at how this might vary on a different platform. <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/peerReview?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0238588">We considered</a> 2,000 selfies posted on a random sample of 200 different Instagram accounts – ten selfies per person. For each selfie, we recorded the gender of the user as apparent from the photograph, and whether they took their selfie from above, from below or frontally. We found that all the users – regardless of gender – tended to place the camera above their heads. </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="A woman in costume holds up a smartphone with a selfie she's just taken" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/391932/original/file-20210326-21-13blf8s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/391932/original/file-20210326-21-13blf8s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/391932/original/file-20210326-21-13blf8s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/391932/original/file-20210326-21-13blf8s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/391932/original/file-20210326-21-13blf8s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/391932/original/file-20210326-21-13blf8s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/391932/original/file-20210326-21-13blf8s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Selfies have been defined as a form of self-disclosure.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://pxhere.com/en/photo/1551241?utm_content=shareClip&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pxhere">pxhere.com</a>, <a class="license" href="http://artlibre.org/licence/lal/en">FAL</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These differences in camera position create different kinds of selfie. The question is why. But how do these choices relate to what the selfies are being used for, the platforms they’re posted on?</p>
<h2>Facial expressivity</h2>
<p>Most <a href="https://www.citylit.ac.uk/blog/how-take-great-selfie?gclid=Cj0KCQjw9YWDBhDyARIsADt6sGbnSRgyjDVuNGS6N_GYZkEhQtrEuYJqpBqpXUHOyeCjD7LWKnnfIHIaAlS5EALw_wcB">“how to take the best selfie” guides</a> emphasise that photographing your face at an angle and from above makes makes you look better. </p>
<p>This is borne out by <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00604/full">a study of Tinder selfies</a> wherein the authors determined that men taking selfies from below was, partly, out of an attempt to appear taller and therefore more masculine. Women taking selfies from above, meanwhile, was said to achieve the opposite, and make them look shorter and more feminine. </p>
<p>Elsewhere, <a href="https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/77612791.pdf">research</a> has looked at the early trends in selfie poses and how some were about angling and composing your face so as to look thinner and more vulnerable – which is also equated with being more attractive. </p>
<p>In trying to explain why a historical painter might have preferred the left side of their sitter’s face, researchers <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/243271a0">explored several possibilities</a>. These ranged from whether the artist was left or right-handed, where the sitter sat in relation to the painter, or whether there was, in fact, a superiority of the left visual half-field in facial recognition: in other words, might a profile painted to the left of the canvas be more easily perceived? </p>
<p>The data though was inconclusive on all those theories, save perhaps the possibility, the authors of the study said, of a basic visual preference. It might be, they suggested, that we simply find the left side more attractive than the right. In selfies, both left and right-handed people showed the same left-cheek bias – so here too, it’s not about handiness. Instead, this prevalence suggests that we know, instinctively, that showing our left side is the better option. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3566189/">Recent evidence</a> provides a clearer reason why this might be. The left side of the face is controlled by the right hemisphere of the brain, which in turn is responsible for <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7220762/">communicating emotions</a>. Thus, the left side is the more emotionally expressive. </p>
<p>Researchers have also found that we tend to perceive ourselves as <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5318447/#:%7E:text=Previous%20research%20indicates%20that%20left,et%20al.%2C%202016">more attractive and likable in our selfies</a>, than in photographs other people take of us. </p>
<p>The degree of expressivity we go for depends on what we intend to communicate, and the platform we’re communicating on. By showing the left cheek – or shooting from above – we look more expressive. Placing the camera frontally, meanwhile, achieves a neutral look. </p>
<h2>Selfie proxemics</h2>
<p>Selfie-takers, in their choice of pose and other pictorial features, are providing nonverbal, social and emotional signals to their viewers. These signals <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomp.2020.00012/full">can be thought of</a> as the 2D equivalent of the nonverbal signals that we use in face-to-face communication. </p>
<p>In person, individuals control their posture and facial expressions, and how far they stand from each other, to express degrees of intimacy or avoidance. Since Edward Hall’s seminal 1960s work, <a href="https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4774h1rm">The Hidden Dimension</a>, we have called this spacing behaviour or proxemics. </p>
<p>In selfies, as in photography or <a href="https://doi.org/10.1162/105474601753272844">cinematography</a>, you have only got pictorial space to play with. But this too provides a set of proxemics: the way the subject is oriented, any left-right asymmetry in the composition, questions of relative size between objects in the frame. </p>
<p>These variables, which are determined through the distance from the camera, and, crucially, the camera angle, contribute to non-verbally communicating the selfie-taker’s motivations, intentions, or emotional states. </p>
<p>This chimes with the way selfies have been defined as a form of <a href="https://iafor.org/journal/iafor-journal-of-cultural-studies/volume-2-issue-2/article-5/">self-disclosure</a>. It’s not just about someone presenting or representing themselves, pictorially, in <a href="https://blogs.getty.edu/iris/whats-the-difference-between-a-selfie-and-a-self-portrait/">the way that self-portraits do</a> (a difference which my current research is looking at), but a means of revealing personal information within a dialogue. </p>
<p>The throwaway nature of the selfie sets it apart from the more considered, artistic intention of a self-portrait. Likewise, the way a selfie is all about context and interaction. As writer, theorist <a href="https://museuminabottle.com/2015/01/22/whats-the-difference-between-a-selfie-and-a-self-portrait/">and the person behind the Museum Selfies tumblr</a> puts it, “selfies are shared as part of a conversation”.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/157449/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alessandro Soranzo does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Selfie takers often choose to shoot the left side of their face, from above. But why exactly is that thought to make you look better?Alessandro Soranzo, Reader in Experimental Psychology, Sheffield Hallam UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1457002020-09-13T19:49:26Z2020-09-13T19:49:26ZBehind the new Samsung Fold: how the quest to maximise screen size is driving major innovation<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/357642/original/file-20200911-22-apy4aa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=40%2C209%2C1360%2C702&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Samsung</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>To enlarge a phone, or not to enlarge a phone? That is the question. In the world of flagship smartphones, there seems to be one clear trend: bigger is better. </p>
<p>Manufacturers are trying to strip away anything that might stand in the way of the largest possible slab of screen. There is also growing demand for thinner phones with diminishing <a href="https://www.lifewire.com/bezel-4155199">bezels</a> (the area surrounding a screen). </p>
<p>This trend has now culminated in the latest innovation in smartphone design, the <a href="https://www.t3.com/au/news/best-folding-phones">foldable screen phone</a>. These devices sport thin <a href="https://www.techradar.com/au/news/what-is-oled">OLED</a> self illuminating screens that can be folded in half.</p>
<p>The newest release is the <a href="https://www.theverge.com/21427462/samsung-galaxy-z-fold-2-review">Samsung Galaxy Z fold 2</a> – a device that is almost three-quarters screen and has extravagant overtones rivalled only by a hefty <a href="https://www.samsung.com/au/smartphones/galaxy-z-fold2/buy/">A$2,999 price tag</a>.</p>
<p>But to prevent the phones themselves from growing to unwieldy size, manufacturers are having to find ways to balance size with usability and durability. This presents some interesting engineering challenges, as well as some innovative solutions. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/357605/original/file-20200911-22-1vlsst9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A giant, old-style phone" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/357605/original/file-20200911-22-1vlsst9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/357605/original/file-20200911-22-1vlsst9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357605/original/file-20200911-22-1vlsst9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357605/original/file-20200911-22-1vlsst9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357605/original/file-20200911-22-1vlsst9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=593&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357605/original/file-20200911-22-1vlsst9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=593&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357605/original/file-20200911-22-1vlsst9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=593&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Why do we love large phones?</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Pixabay</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Internal design complexities of folding phones</h2>
<p>Modern phones still typically use a thin LCD or plastic OLED display covered by an outer glass panel. </p>
<p>Folding displays are a new category that exploit the flexibility of OLED display panels. Instead of simply fixing these panels to a rigid glass panel, they carefully engineer the panel so that it bends – but never quite tightly enough to snap or crack. </p>
<p>Internal structural support is needed to make sure the panel doesn’t crease, or isn’t stressed to the point of creating damage, discolouration or visible surface ripples. </p>
<p>Since this is a mechanical, moving system, reliability issues need to be considered. For instance, how long will the hinge last? How many times can it be <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/10/4/20898484/samsung-galaxy-fold-folding-test-failure-durability">folded and unfolded</a> before it malfunctions? Will dirt or dust make its way into the assembly during daily use and affect the screen?</p>
<p>Such devices need an added layer of reliability over traditional slab-like phones, which have no moving parts.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-new-iphone-se-is-the-cheapest-yet-smart-move-or-a-premium-tech-brand-losing-its-way-136507">The new iPhone SE is the cheapest yet: smart move, or a premium tech brand losing its way?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Large screen, thin phone: a recipe for disaster?</h2>
<p>Each generation of smartphones becomes thinner and with smaller bezels, which improves the viewing experience but can make the phone harder to handle. </p>
<p>In such designs, the area of the device you can grip without touching the display screen is small. This leads to a higher chance of <a href="https://www.cnet.com/news/study-19-percent-of-people-drop-phones-down-toilet/">dropping the device</a> – a blunder even the best of us have made. </p>
<p>There’s an ongoing tussle between consumers and manufacturers. Consumers want a large, viewable surface as well as an easily portable and rugged device. But from an engineering point of view, these are usually competing requirements. </p>
<p>You’ll often see people in smartphone ads holding the device with two hands. In real life, however, most people use their phone with <a href="https://www.smartinsights.com/mobile-marketing/mobile-design/research-on-mobile-interaction-behaviour-and-design/">one</a> <a href="https://alistapart.com/article/how-we-hold-our-gadgets/">hand</a>. </p>
<p>Thus, the shift towards larger, thinner phones has also given rise to a boom in demand for assistive tools attached to the back, such as <a href="https://www.androidcentral.com/best-popsockets">pop-out grips and phone rings</a>.</p>
<p>In trying to maximise screen size, smartphone developers also have to account for interruptions in the display, such as the placement of cameras, laser scanners (for face or object identification), proximity sensors and speakers. All are placed to minimise visual intrusion.</p>
<h2>Now you see it, now you don’t</h2>
<p>In the engineering world, to measure the physical world you need either cameras or sensors, such as in a fingerprint scanner. </p>
<p>With the race to increase the real estate space on screens, typically these cameras and scanners are placed somewhere around the screen. But they take up valuable space.</p>
<p>This is why we’ve recently seen tricks to carve out more space for them, such as <a href="https://www.techradar.com/au/news/this-is-the-worlds-first-smartphone-where-half-the-screen-is-a-fingerprint-scanner">pop up</a> cameras and <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=phone+screen+hole+for+camera&source=lmns&bih=598&biw=1280&rlz=1C5CHFA_enAU871AU871&safe=active&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjXvcyoveDrAhUwhUsFHXvqBYMQ_AUoAHoECAEQAA">punch-hole</a> cameras, in which the camera sits in a cutout hole allowing the display to extend to the corners. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/357640/original/file-20200911-18-r1bxyk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Front view of Samsun Galaxy Note 10." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/357640/original/file-20200911-18-r1bxyk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/357640/original/file-20200911-18-r1bxyk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=439&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357640/original/file-20200911-18-r1bxyk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=439&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357640/original/file-20200911-18-r1bxyk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=439&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357640/original/file-20200911-18-r1bxyk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357640/original/file-20200911-18-r1bxyk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357640/original/file-20200911-18-r1bxyk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Samsun Galaxy Note 10 has a centered punch hole front-facing camera.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Samsung</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But another fantastic place for sensors is right in front of us: the screen. Or more specifically, under the screen.</p>
<p>Samsung is one company that has suggested placing selfie-cameras and fingerprint readers behind the screen. But how do you capture a photo or a face image through a layer of screen? </p>
<p>Up until recently, this has been put in the “too hard basket”. But that is changing: Xiaomi, Huawei and <a href="https://www.extremetech.com/mobile/262497-samsung-patent-shows-phone-camera-inside-display">Samsung</a> all have patents for <a href="https://www.phonearena.com/news/samsung-galaxy-s21-s30-under-display-camera_id125174">under-display cameras</a>.</p>
<p>There are a range of ways to do this, from allowing a camera to see through the screen, to using <a href="https://www.rp-photonics.com/microlenses.html">microlenses</a> and camera pixels distributed throughout the display itself – similar to an insect’s <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/insect/Nervous-system#ref250944">compound eye</a>. </p>
<p>In either case, the general engineering challenge is to implement the feature in a way that doesn’t impact screen image quality, nor majorly affect camera resolution or colour accuracy.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/357639/original/file-20200911-20-1vwk072.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Close up of an insect's compound eyes" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/357639/original/file-20200911-20-1vwk072.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/357639/original/file-20200911-20-1vwk072.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357639/original/file-20200911-20-1vwk072.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357639/original/file-20200911-20-1vwk072.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357639/original/file-20200911-20-1vwk072.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357639/original/file-20200911-20-1vwk072.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/357639/original/file-20200911-20-1vwk072.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Insects have compound eyes. These are made up of repeating units called the ommatidia, sometimes with thousands in each eye. Each ommatidia is a separate visual receptor.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Laptops in our pockets</h2>
<p>With up to 3.8 billion smartphone users <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/330695/number-of-smartphone-users-worldwide/">expected by 2021</a>, mobile computing is a primary consumer technology area seeing significant growth and investment.</p>
<p>One driver for this is the professional market, where larger mobile devices allow more efficient on-the-go business transactions. The second market is individuals who who <a href="https://www.statista.com/topics/779/mobile-internet/"><em>only</em> have a mobile device</a> and no laptop or desktop computer.</p>
<p>It’s all about choice, but also functionality. Whatever you choose has to get the job done, support a positive user experience, but also survive the rigours of the real world.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/apples-iphone-11-pro-wants-to-take-your-laptops-job-and-price-tag-123372">Apple's iPhone 11 Pro wants to take your laptop's job (and price tag)</a>
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</em>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/145700/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Maxwell does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 2 is almost three-quarters screen. And while that’s convenient, it’s important to actually be able to hold the phone. As design evolves, how do manufacturers adapt?Andrew Maxwell, Senior Lecturer, University of Southern QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1245832019-12-26T21:40:11Z2019-12-26T21:40:11Z#travelgram: live tourist snaps have turned solo adventures into social occasions<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/303105/original/file-20191122-74542-nf23x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=264%2C603%2C4949%2C3074&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">If you didn't post it, did it even happen? </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/success?u=http%3A%2F%2Fdownload.shutterstock.com%2Fgatekeeper%2FW3siZSI6MTU3NDQzMTgxNSwiYyI6Il9waG90b19zZXNzaW9uX2lkIiwiZGMiOiJpZGxfNzQxNjk0NjAzIiwiayI6InBob3RvLzc0MTY5NDYwMy9odWdlLmpwZyIsIm0iOjEsImQiOiJzaHV0dGVyc3RvY2stbWVkaWEifSwia1lHTUdvM3V0eHFPTkRuNGhFdTk3UE9RNXNVIl0%2Fshutterstock_741694603.jpg&pi=41133566&m=741694603&src=5dd57731-91f9-491e-9056-34964299a4fb-1-41">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In the years since <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-32336808">selfie sticks</a> went global, it has become clear that the mobile phone has changed the way we travel.
The ubiquity of social media means tourists can now produce content on the move for their networked audiences to view in close to real time.</p>
<p>Where once we shared slideshows post trip and saved prints and postcards as keepsakes, we now share <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0160738315000419">holiday images</a> and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1369118X.2016.1220969">selfies</a> from the road, sea or air — expanding the “<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/026327692009003001">tourist gaze</a>” from the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0160738315300335">traveller</a> to include remote audiences back home. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/metourism-the-hidden-costs-of-selfie-tourism-87865">#MeTourism: the hidden costs of selfie tourism</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<h2>Instagram-worthy</h2>
<p>Travelling has gone from a solitary quest to a “<a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9780203861301/chapters/10.4324/9780203861301-21">social occasion</a>”. As such, gazing is becoming inseparably linked with photography. Taking photos has become habitual, rendering the camera as a way of seeing and experiencing new places. </p>
<p>Travellers take selfies that present both locations and people in aesthetically pleasing and positive <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9780203861301/chapters/10.4324/9780203861301-21">ways</a>. </p>
<p>Indeed, the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jan/17/instagrammers-travel-sri-lanka-tourists-peachy-backsides-social-media-obsessed">“instagrammability”</a> of a destination is a key motivation for younger people to travel there - even if filters and <a href="https://twitter.com/polina_marinova/status/1146620000679022593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1146620000679022593&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftravel.nine.com.au%2Flatest%2Fbali-gates-of-heaven-attraction-fake-twitter-response%2F9014aa28-f31e-4ad7-912f-6749efc18b26">mirrors</a> have been used to create a less than realistic image. </p>
<p>This transforms the relationship between travellers and their social networks in three important <a href="http://sk.sagepub.com/books/the-tourist-gaze-3-0-3e">ways</a>: between tourists and destination hosts; between fellow tourists; and lastly, between tourists and those that stay home.</p>
<p>The urge to share travel imagery is not without risk. An Australian couple were <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-05/australians-released-from-iran/11576776">released</a> from detention in Iran in October, following their arrest for ostensibly flying a drone without a permit. </p>
<p>Other tourists earned derision for scrambling to post selfies at <a href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/australian-holidays/northern-territory/influencers-reason-for-deciding-to-climb-uluru-before-the-ban/news-story/b53928ee54800a6070bc0670b1679356">Uluru</a> before it was closed to climbers. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, there is a sad story behind the newly popular travelgram destination Rainbow Mountain in the Peruvian Andes. It has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/03/world/americas/peru-rainbow-mountain.html">reportedly</a> only recently emerged due to climate change melting its once snowy peaks. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/B5JNHpuAMdr","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<h2>Testing the effects</h2>
<p>To understand the way social media photography impacts travelling, we undertook an exploratory <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40558-019-00151-4">study</a> of overnight visitors at zoological accommodation in lavish surrounds. </p>
<p>We divided 12 participants into two groups. One group was directed to abstain from posting on social media but were still able to take photos. The second group had no restrictions on sharing photos. Though the numbers were small, we gathered qualitative information about engagement and attitudes. </p>
<p>Participants were invited to book at <a href="http://www.jamalawildlifelodge.com.au/">Jamala Wildlife Lodge</a> in Canberra. The visit was funded by the researchers — Jamala Wildlife Lodge did not sponsor the research and the interviewees’ stay at the Lodge was a standard visit. We then conducted interviews immediately after their departure from the zoo, critically exploring the full experience of their stay. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/B40sRAoDjuS","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<p>The study confirmed that the desire to share travel pictures in close to real time is strongly scripted into the role of the tourist; altering the way travellers engage with sites they are visiting, but also their sense of urgency to communicate this with remote audiences. </p>
<h2>Pics or it didn’t happen</h2>
<p>Participants Mandy and Amy were among those instructed to refrain from posting pictures to social media while at the zoo. They described having to refrain from social media use as a disappointment, even though it seemed to further their engagement. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Interviewer: Did you look at your social media throughout your stay or did you refrain?</p>
<p>Mandy: A bit yeah. But even then, probably not reading it as much as I often would. I don’t think I commented on anything yeah.</p>
<p>Amy: Even today when we put something up [after staying at the Zoo] about the things we’d done today and only a few people had liked it, there was that little bit of disappointment that ‘Oh more people haven’t liked my post.’ Where we didn’t have that for the previous 24 hours [because of the experiment] … because nobody knew about it.</p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/303110/original/file-20191122-74562-4f8vo1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/303110/original/file-20191122-74562-4f8vo1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/303110/original/file-20191122-74562-4f8vo1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/303110/original/file-20191122-74562-4f8vo1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/303110/original/file-20191122-74562-4f8vo1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/303110/original/file-20191122-74562-4f8vo1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/303110/original/file-20191122-74562-4f8vo1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/303110/original/file-20191122-74562-4f8vo1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The tension between capturing and experiencing travel is ever-present.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/couple-boyfriend-girlfriend-riding-small-boat-701068276?src=fd7785ef-8ea7-4ee7-8be6-4ec07ce49111-1-8">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The desire for social media recognition resumed after leaving the zoo. For Michelle, posting after the experience presented new concerns: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Interviewer: How did you feel about not being able to post?</p>
<p>Michelle: Spanner in the works! For me personally not being able to post was a negative experience because I wanted to show people what we’re doing, when we’re doing it. </p>
<p>And I also feel, like a couple of people knew we were going to the zoo, right, and knew that we couldn’t use social media. So, when I eventually post it, they’re going to go, ‘She’s been hanging on to those and now she’s posting them and that’s just a bit weird.’ Like, to post it after the event. Everyone normally posts it in real time.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Later, Michelle commented that withholding content from posting to social media also diminished a part of the experience itself: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I sort of feel like if we don’t share the photos it’s like a tree fell down in the forest and no one heard it, like, we’ve had this amazing experience and if I don’t share them, then no one’s going to know that we had this experience, you know, apart from us.</p>
</blockquote>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gta-gWLEtbg?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Tips garnered from travelgrammers fill lots of online video tutorials.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2><strong>Centre Stage</strong></h2>
<p>Digital photography and social media transform the relationship between the travelling self and its audience, as individuals have an expanded — and potentially diversified — audience. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0160738315300335">Selfies in tourist contexts</a> reflect the tourist gaze back at the tourist, rather than outward.</p>
<p>The perfect digital postcard now incorporates the self centrestage. As one participant suggested:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Shannon: It almost feels like it’s kind of an expected behaviour when you are doing something touristy … We’ve actually had tour guides before … kind of a bit disappointed if you don’t take a photograph. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>The purpose of photography has <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1470357207084865">shifted</a> from a memory aid to a way of sharing experience in the moment. There is tension now between the need to capture tourist experiences for digital sharing and individual engagement in the tourist activity. Decrying the desire to use photography as a way of communicating experience will not constructively address this tension.</p>
<p>To ensure tourism sustainability, and engagement with their target market, tourism providers need to explore better ways to manage travellers’ face-to-face and digital engagement.</p>
<p>Digital engagements have become a defining part of travel, and organisations should be encouraged to promote online sharing of experiences — phone charging stations and photo competitions were two suggestions offered by our interviewees. </p>
<p>In contrast, device-free days or activities could be another way to encourage face-to-face engagement and prompt tourists to be more considered with their online sharing.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/124583/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Naomi F Dale is affiliated with National Capital Attractions Association of which the zoo mentioned in the article is a financial member.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Raechel Johns received funding from Murray Darling Basin Futures for the data collection for this study.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael James Walsh does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Where once we subjected friends to post-holiday slideshows, now we share travel selfies live with a remote audience. This study teased out the tension between snapping and experiencing the trip.Michael James Walsh, Assistant Professor Social Science, University of CanberraNaomi F Dale, Associate Professor of Management, University of CanberraRaechel Johns, Head of the Canberra Business School and Professor of Marketing and Service Management, University of CanberraLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1188692019-07-10T09:31:18Z2019-07-10T09:31:18ZFive ways to be a responsible wildlife tourist<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/283343/original/file-20190709-44457-mo3s9m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">By all means, see the world's wildlife – just make sure you're respectful and responsible.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/galapagos-christmas-iguana-tourist-wildlife-photographer-1309507360?src=mYZxTGQ5cbCvwT93ZVN4Lw-1-42&studio=1">Maridav/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Imagine walking through a lush tropical forest. You hear a rustle overhead, and a half-eaten fruit plops onto the trail. You lock eyes with a howler monkey, before he gives a soft grunt and moves higher into the trees. These magical, fleeting connections with a wild animal can be the highlight of a holiday. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281627/original/file-20190627-76722-dj2r01.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281627/original/file-20190627-76722-dj2r01.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281627/original/file-20190627-76722-dj2r01.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281627/original/file-20190627-76722-dj2r01.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281627/original/file-20190627-76722-dj2r01.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281627/original/file-20190627-76722-dj2r01.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281627/original/file-20190627-76722-dj2r01.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281627/original/file-20190627-76722-dj2r01.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A howler monkey looks down from the trees in Costa Rica.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Wildlife tourism like this is <a href="https://elibrary.worldbank.org/doi/abs/10.1596/29417">booming, raising much-needed funds for and awareness</a> of conservation efforts. However, there is a dark side to this business, and many tourists unknowingly put animals at risk by supporting activities that encourage the capture of wild animals or cause them pain or distress.</p>
<p>But that’s not to say you should avoid wildlife tourism altogether – we just need to be more aware of the impact we can have on the lives of wild animals. Here are five ways to ensure that your wildlife holiday encounter contributes to the animals’ conservation and welfare.</p>
<h2>1. Selfie responsibly</h2>
<p>Animals used for tourist photos are <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/oct/03/wildlife-selfies-cruelty-animal-tourist-snaps-amazon">rarely kept in humane conditions</a>, and all have been removed from their normal ecological and social situations. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6262464/">Brown sloths</a>, for example, are common photo props in Central and South America. They are often handled by many people in a single session, and become distressed by having their limbs or head manipulated for a better photo. </p>
<p>Similarly, the <a href="http://www.nocturama.org/en/thailand-selfish-selfies-cruel-coconuts/">slow loris</a> is a frequent prop in Southeast Asia. Bright sunlight is painful for these tiny nocturnal primates, and many have their teeth removed for tourist safety. Meanwhile, in Southern Africa, lion cubs are taken from their mothers and hand-reared so you can snuggle them. Once they are too big for selfies, however, they often enter the <a href="https://pantheraafrica.com/reveal/">canned hunting industry</a>, where hunters pay to kill animals in an enclosed area.</p>
<p>This doesn’t mean you can’t take an amazing wildlife photo, however – just keep your hands to yourself and follow advice like the World Animal Protection’s <a href="https://www.worldanimalprotection.org.uk/campaigns/animals-wild/wildlife-selfie-code">wildlife selfie code</a>, which tells us only to take photos if the animal is in its natural home, at a safe distance, and free to move away.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4z2QYSRng3A?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<h2>2. Don’t feed the animals</h2>
<p>Feeding wildlife leads to a number of serious problems. Sharing food, and even just getting too close, increases the risk of disease transmission between people and animals. Gorillas, chimpanzees and orangutans, for example, are <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/oryx/article/habituating-the-great-apes-the-disease-risks/B780AC6C4F45993E7988B41D3726997E">susceptible to a number of human infections</a>, including colds and flu, measles, tuberculosis and pneumonia. </p>
<p>A high proportion of human food in primate diets is also linked to <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ajp.20647">poor coat condition</a> and <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0155920">obesity</a>. And when animals learn to expect food from humans, they can become quite bold, which increases the risk of human-animal conflict. Some long-tailed macaques in Bali have even learned which items to steal from tourists in order to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28516338">“barter” for food</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-humans-interact-with-the-changing-environment-is-affecting-the-spread-of-infectious-disease-115660">How humans interact with the changing environment is affecting the spread of infectious disease</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>3. Consider species-typical behaviour</h2>
<p>Lack of understanding of an animal’s normal behaviour allows tourists to overlook abuse and contributes to human-animal conflict. With their human-like faces and behaviours, primates already teeter on the edge of uncanny valley, so it’s all too easy to misinterpret their expressions and postures.</p>
<p>One study found that tourists viewing Barbary macaques <a href="https://peerj.com/articles/3413/">struggled to recognise aggressive or distressed facial expressions</a>. However, misinterpretation of monkey faces and postures is one of the surest ways to get yourself bitten. When an animal gives a clear warning and a person does not respond appropriately, it is understandable when bites and scratches occur. </p>
<p>Understanding a bit about animal behaviour can also help you recognise abuse. To keep them docile and safe for tourists, some elephants in Southeast Asia undergo a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13880292.2016.1204882">cruel training process</a> during which they are immobilised and beaten, starved and deprived of water.</p>
<p>Working elephants are prohibited from exhibiting their natural behaviours, such as maintaining complex social relationships and ranging many kilometres each day. While you may not know the signs of distress for a species, we can all recognise that wild animals who cannot perform their normal behaviours are not being treated properly. </p>
<h2>4. Support local economies</h2>
<p>We can only protect wildlife if we protect their communities, and those communities include people. Responsible wildlife tourism should provide funds for both the people and the animals who live in those environments. So do not give all of your money to international corporations.</p>
<p>Stay in locally-owned hotels, try local foods, and embrace the culture of the place you are visiting. The economic impact of tourism can be huge, and making sure your money supports the local area ensures that people have the means to protect their natural treasures in the future.</p>
<p>Wildlife tourism success stories from <a href="https://theconversation.com/community-based-wildlife-conservation-is-bringing-success-to-tanzania-92537">Tanzania</a>, where villages protect wild spaces in exchange for tourist revenues, to <a href="https://www.responsibletravel.org/docs/Importance%20of%20Ecotourism%20Osa%20Peninsula%20-%20English.pdf">Costa Rica</a>, where wildlife tourism creates sustainable, well-paid jobs for local people, show us that economic development can occur alongside wildlife conservation.</p>
<h2>5. Vote with your wallet</h2>
<p>Tourist income has a lot of power, so choose where to spend your money wisely. If something feels off to you, don’t participate. If you are not sure, consider the situation. Are the animals captive, or are they performing unnatural behaviours?</p>
<p>Know that “sanctuaries” or “reserves” may still engage in unethical practices, so research your activities before you go with a reliable organisation like the <a href="https://www.rspca.org.uk/whatwedo/latest/details/-/articleName/2018_07_19_tourism">RPSCA</a> or the <a href="https://www.hsi.org/">Humane Society</a>. Share your experiences online and let people know which companies are engaging in questionable practices. When we stop buying unethical animal experiences, people will stop selling them as well.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/118869/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tracie McKinney is affiliated with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as part of the Primate Specialist Group on Human-Primate Interactions. </span></em></p>Seeing wild animals can be the highlight of a holiday, and help pay for conservation efforts too, but we have to respect the animals.Tracie McKinney, Senior Lecturer in Human Biology, University of South WalesLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1190792019-06-20T20:01:12Z2019-06-20T20:01:12ZHow a humble Perth boathouse became Australia’s most unlikely tourist attraction<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/280128/original/file-20190619-118497-fjr9nc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">In Perth it's called the Crawley Edge Boatshed, but this building is better known around the world as the #blueboathouse.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>It’s a simple building. A shed, really. You can’t go inside, and even if you could, there’s nothing in there. For decades it was derelict, an eyesore to which locals paid little attention.</p>
<p>But this humble boat shed, on the shore of the Swan River in Perth, Western Australia, has become a social media superstar. Known around the world simply as the #blueboathouse, since being restored in the early 2000s it has become Perth’s second-most popular spot for tourist selfies. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/280382/original/file-20190620-149827-u74mkc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/280382/original/file-20190620-149827-u74mkc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/280382/original/file-20190620-149827-u74mkc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280382/original/file-20190620-149827-u74mkc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280382/original/file-20190620-149827-u74mkc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280382/original/file-20190620-149827-u74mkc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280382/original/file-20190620-149827-u74mkc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280382/original/file-20190620-149827-u74mkc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BxQ54KQnlaF/">xiaomei80/Instragram.com</a></span>
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</figure>
<p>On Instagram there are now more than 15,000 #blueboathouse-tagged posts. That’s still less than half the 81,000 posts for Elizabeth Quay, the city’s purpose-built entertainment and leisure precinct, but the quay did cost the state government A$440 million to build, compared with nothing for the privately owned boat shed. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/280415/original/file-20190620-149835-15d50xa.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/280415/original/file-20190620-149835-15d50xa.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/280415/original/file-20190620-149835-15d50xa.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=559&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280415/original/file-20190620-149835-15d50xa.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=559&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280415/original/file-20190620-149835-15d50xa.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=559&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280415/original/file-20190620-149835-15d50xa.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=702&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280415/original/file-20190620-149835-15d50xa.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=702&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280415/original/file-20190620-149835-15d50xa.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=702&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">The Conversation</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It will, though, now cost Perth’s city council <a href="https://thewest.com.au/news/perth/crawleys-famous-blue-boatshed-could-be-about-to-get-a-400000-solar-powered-toilet-to-cater-for-instagramming-tourists-ng-b881213185z">A$400,000 to build a public toilet</a> near the boat shed, due to the sheer volume of Insta-happy visitors. An Insta-toilet, if you will. </p>
<p>In terms of value for marketing dollars, it’s a bargain. </p>
<p>Between Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Tripadvisor and other social media, the #blueboathouse has generated global awareness about Perth potentially worth millions of dollars. Tourism advertising gurus could brainstorm for months and not come up with something as cheap or effective.</p>
<p>It signifies the profound effect that social media is having on consumer markets, the rise of organic marketing and the phenomenon of “unpaid influencers”. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/280379/original/file-20190620-171208-snws5g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/280379/original/file-20190620-171208-snws5g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/280379/original/file-20190620-171208-snws5g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=367&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280379/original/file-20190620-171208-snws5g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=367&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280379/original/file-20190620-171208-snws5g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=367&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280379/original/file-20190620-171208-snws5g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280379/original/file-20190620-171208-snws5g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280379/original/file-20190620-171208-snws5g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx4hk7NDCY7/">romart_photography/Instagram.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The rise of the unpaid influencer</h2>
<p>As a researcher, I am fascinated by this phenomenon, which sees everyday consumers (tourists, in this case) become advocates for the brands or destinations they have experienced. In marketing we call them “online brand advocates”. They are a brand’s most authentic marketing investment. </p>
<p>Tourism provides a textbook example of the way social media is blurring the boundary between media use and marketing. With the selfie now the virtual vehicle for instantly sharing holiday happy snaps and proving “I was there”, platforms such as Instagram have become powerful dictators of what’s hot. Each day Instagram users post 95 million photos and videos. Some of these posts, bound by a hashtag, inspire emulation. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/280418/original/file-20190620-149806-18do996.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/280418/original/file-20190620-149806-18do996.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/280418/original/file-20190620-149806-18do996.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280418/original/file-20190620-149806-18do996.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280418/original/file-20190620-149806-18do996.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280418/original/file-20190620-149806-18do996.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280418/original/file-20190620-149806-18do996.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280418/original/file-20190620-149806-18do996.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx4tqyWl5f2/">davechuacs/Instagram.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Selfie-taking has been embraced by Asian cultures. Chinese and Japanese social media users refer to “ASS” – Asian Selfie Spots. Becoming recognised as such a spot can be a transformative experience for a local economy.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/metourism-the-hidden-costs-of-selfie-tourism-87865">#MeTourism: the hidden costs of selfie tourism</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>But wait, you ask, has the chance to visit a boat shed really led someone in, say, Beijing, to book a ticket to Perth rather than Las Vegas? </p>
<p>Another unlikely Asian Selfie Spot in Australia suggests it might have. </p>
<p>This is <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2016-03-24/sea-lake-chinese-tourism-drought-grain-rural-environment-water/7272248">Sea Lake</a>, in northwest Victoria.</p>
<p>It is one of the state’s most isolated towns, and also one of its smallest, with a population of about 600. Its name comes from the nearby Lake Tyrrell, which most of the year is effectively a salt lake.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/280391/original/file-20190620-149810-5gxzgk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/280391/original/file-20190620-149810-5gxzgk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280391/original/file-20190620-149810-5gxzgk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280391/original/file-20190620-149810-5gxzgk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280391/original/file-20190620-149810-5gxzgk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280391/original/file-20190620-149810-5gxzgk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280391/original/file-20190620-149810-5gxzgk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">For most the year Lake Tyrrell is dry.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Until a couple of years ago, Sea Lake was not on anyone’s list of must-visit locations. </p>
<p>But then some photos of what happens in winter, when the shallow, salty depression of Lake Tyrrell is covered in a few centimetres of water, changed all that. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/280393/original/file-20190620-149843-16o6lj1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/280393/original/file-20190620-149843-16o6lj1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280393/original/file-20190620-149843-16o6lj1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280393/original/file-20190620-149843-16o6lj1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280393/original/file-20190620-149843-16o6lj1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280393/original/file-20190620-149843-16o6lj1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280393/original/file-20190620-149843-16o6lj1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Lake Tyrrell when covered in water.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A trickle of Chinese tourists turned into a relative flood, inspiring new investment and an <a href="https://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/country-living/new-infrastructure-to-bring-in-tourists-at-lake-tyrell/news-story/c8a5456d1c64bb05c04f0d99b82ec175">economic boost</a> for a drought-stricken community in decline.</p>
<h2>Seeking authenticity</h2>
<p>The influence of platforms like Instagram was recognised reasonably quickly by commercial interests. It led to a whole new industry of “influencers” – social media personalities with large followings who take cash or gifts to promote brands. Sometimes they are upfront about the fact they are being paid to spruik products; sometimes they are not.</p>
<p>The influencer market worth is difficult to calculate, and 2020 predictions range anywhere from US$2.3 billion to US$16.6 billion. </p>
<p>But even as it is reportedly growing exponentially, there’s also a growing feeling that the paid-influencer market is perverting what social media is meant to be about – engagement with authentic storytelling. Instagram has recognised this shift and earlier this year trialled <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicolemartin1/2019/04/30/instagram-may-be-getting-rid-of-likes-on-platform/#5875c2ee31d1">removing “likes”</a> and follower numbers as a means to limit people cashing in on their popularity.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-people-risk-their-lives-for-the-perfect-selfie-55937">Why do people risk their lives for the perfect selfie?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Against the paid influencers, we see the rise of the unpaid influencers. They generate organic, authentic social media exposure; and because they’re just like you or me (they might even be you or me) they’re highly relatable and trustworthy. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/280380/original/file-20190620-171183-b9vk1g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/280380/original/file-20190620-171183-b9vk1g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/280380/original/file-20190620-171183-b9vk1g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280380/original/file-20190620-171183-b9vk1g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280380/original/file-20190620-171183-b9vk1g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280380/original/file-20190620-171183-b9vk1g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280380/original/file-20190620-171183-b9vk1g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/280380/original/file-20190620-171183-b9vk1g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BxbdSCFHP2k/">junita_kirana/Instagram.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>More and more they inform the decisions we make, from choosing a restaurant to booking a holiday. </p>
<p>So perhaps take another look at that local derelict building or dried-up lake. You never know, it might just be a future tourist hotspot waiting to happen.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/119079/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Violetta Wilk does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A blue boat shed in Perth, Western Australia, shows the power of social media and the rise of unpaid influencers in marketing.Violetta Wilk, Lecturer & Researcher in Digital Marketing, Edith Cowan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1162202019-04-30T19:36:58Z2019-04-30T19:36:58ZOur smartphone addiction is killing us – can apps that limit screen time offer a lifeline?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/271830/original/file-20190430-136810-osnlyw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The solution to too much screen time may just be more apps.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/hand-woman-using-smartphone-on-wooden-588975182?src=rTE4vAM3oE0IuGyUkXh7jQ-1-42">THE YOOTH/Shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>We’re <a href="https://www.pcmag.com/article/361587/tech-addiction-by-the-numbers-how-much-time-we-spend-online">squandering increasing amounts of time</a> distracted by our phones. And that’s taking a <a href="https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Publication%20Files/Time,%20Money,%20and%20Subjective%20Well-Being_cb363d54-6410-4049-9cf5-9d7b3bc94bcb.pdf">serious toll</a> on our mental and physical well-being. </p>
<p>Perhaps ironically, software developers themselves have been on the forefront of efforts to solve this problem by creating apps that aim to help users disconnect from their devices. Some apps reward you for staying off your phone for set periods of time. Others “punish” or block you from accessing certain sites or activities altogether.</p>
<p>But over the past year, Apple <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/27/technology/apple-screen-time-trackers.html">has been removing or restricting</a> some of the top screen time or parental control apps from its App Store, according to a New York Times analysis. At the same time, Apple – <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-29/apple-says-it-pulled-parental-control-apps-over-privacy-concerns?srnd=technology-vp">which cited privacy concerns</a> for removing the apps – launched its own screen-time tracker that comes pre-installed on new iPhones. </p>
<p>Limiting iPhone users’ access to other types of apps is a bad thing because certain ones may work better for some people than others. And <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2017.03.043">research</a> by myself and others shows that excessive technology use can be problematic. In extreme cases, it is linked to depression, accidents and even death. </p>
<p>But what makes some apps work better than others? Behavioral science, <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=zKUs7bQAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">my area of expertise</a>, can shed some light. </p>
<h2>Why we need help</h2>
<p>Technology is <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/2286877/ex-google-boss-says-youre-addicted-to-your-smartphone-and-its-time-to-kick-the-habit/">designed</a> to be addictive. And a society that is “<a href="https://www.textrequest.com/blog/mean-mobile-dependent/">mobile dependent</a>” has a hard time spending even minutes away from their app-enabled smartphones. </p>
<p>In 2017, U.S. adults <a href="https://www.pcmag.com/article/361587/tech-addiction-by-the-numbers-how-much-time-we-spend-online">spent an average of three hours and 20 minutes a day</a> using their smartphones and tablets. This is double the amount from just five years ago, according to an annual survey of internet trends. <a href="https://flurrymobile.tumblr.com/post/157921590345/us-consumers-time-spent-on-mobile-crosses-5">Another survey</a> suggests most of that time is spent on arguably unproductive activities like Facebook, gaming and other types of social media.</p>
<p>This addiction has consequences. </p>
<p>The most serious, of course, is when it leads to fatalities, like those that result from <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/16/business/tech-distractions-blamed-for-rise-in-traffic-fatalities.html">distracted driving</a> or even <a href="http://doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_109_18">taking selfies</a>. </p>
<p>But it also takes a serious toll on our mental health, as my own research has demonstrated. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2017.03.043">One experiment</a> I conducted with a colleague found that looking at Facebook profiles of people having fun at parties made new college students feel like they didn’t belong. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167217727496">Another study</a> suggested that people who spent more time using social media were less happy. </p>
<p>Ultimately, our phones’ constant connection to the internet – and our constant connection to our phones – means that we miss out on bonding with those that we care about most, <a href="https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Publication%20Files/Time,%20Money,%20and%20Subjective%20Well-Being_cb363d54-6410-4049-9cf5-9d7b3bc94bcb.pdf">lowering everyone’s happiness</a> in the process.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/271832/original/file-20190430-136807-ta1946.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/271832/original/file-20190430-136807-ta1946.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/271832/original/file-20190430-136807-ta1946.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/271832/original/file-20190430-136807-ta1946.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/271832/original/file-20190430-136807-ta1946.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/271832/original/file-20190430-136807-ta1946.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/271832/original/file-20190430-136807-ta1946.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Some selfies just aren’t worth it.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/grand-canyon-february-19-tourist-taking-591699578?src=iB_4FAUZJnXpu05RX4Dg_g-1-1">Hayk_Shalunts/Shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Trying to unplug</h2>
<p>The good news is that most of us aren’t oblivious to the negative effects of technology and have a <a href="http://www.pewinternet.org/2018/08/22/how-teens-and-parents-navigate-screen-time-and-device-distractions/">strong desire to disconnect</a>.</p>
<p>As you might expect in a market economy, businesses are doing their best to give us what we want. Examples include a Brooklyn-based startup <a href="https://www.inc.com/wanda-thibodeaux/how-this-dumb-phone-is-helping-people-everywhere-kick-smartphone-habit.html">selling bare-bones phones</a> without an internet connection, hotels offering families <a href="https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-news/wyndham-hotels-discount-smartphone-lock">discounts</a> if they give up their mobiles during their stay, and resorts creating packages built on the idea of creating sacred spaces where consumers <a href="https://www.nextavenue.org/digital-detox-8-places-unplug-and-unwind/">leave their devices at home</a>.</p>
<p>And app developers have also risen to the challenge with software aimed at helping us use our phones less. </p>
<h2>Goal setting is key</h2>
<p>Apple’s screen-time app is a good first step because it shows you how much time you are spending on apps and websites – and possibly raise some red flags. However, many apps go much further.</p>
<p>Research suggests that you should download applications that ask you to set <a href="http://kops.uni-konstanz.de/bitstream/handle/123456789/10101/99Goll_ImpInt.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y">specific goals</a> that are tied to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1103170108">concrete actions</a>. Making commitments upfront <a href="http://DOI.org/10.1257/jep.25.4.191">can be a powerful motivator</a>, even more so than financial incentives. </p>
<p>For example, <a href="https://inthemoment.io/">Moment</a> asks users to set specific technology-limiting goals tied to their daily actions, such as setting up an alert when you pick up the phone during dinner time. <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.offtime.kit&hl=en_US">Offtime</a> prompts users with warnings when they are about to exceed the limits for an online activity they’ve set. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/271840/original/file-20190430-136810-42srhi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/271840/original/file-20190430-136810-42srhi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/271840/original/file-20190430-136810-42srhi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=1067&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/271840/original/file-20190430-136810-42srhi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=1067&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/271840/original/file-20190430-136810-42srhi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=1067&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/271840/original/file-20190430-136810-42srhi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1341&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/271840/original/file-20190430-136810-42srhi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1341&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/271840/original/file-20190430-136810-42srhi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1341&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Apps like Moment, RealizD and ZenScreen can help keep you off your phone.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://www.flipdapp.co/">Flipd</a> takes it a step further and actually completely blocks certain phone apps once users have exceeded pre-determined targets – even if you try to reset the device – making it the ultimate commitment app. Similarly, <a href="https://getcoldturkey.com/">Cold Turkey Blocker</a> prevents users from accessing literally any other function of their desktop computers for a certain period of time until they have completed self-set goals, like writing. While this might not affect phone use, it could help you be more productive at work. </p>
<h2>Defaults are your friend</h2>
<p>Another helpful trait in an application involves configuring default settings to encourage less technology use. </p>
<p>In their award-winning book “<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/690485/nudge-by-richard-h-thaler-and-cass-r-sunstein/">Nudge</a>,” Nobel Prize winner Richard Thaler and Harvard law professor Cass Sunstein showed how adjusting the default for a company’s retirement plan – such as by requiring employees to opt out rather than opt in – <a href="http://www.nber.org/chapters/c4539.pdf">makes it easier</a> to achieve a goal like <a href="https://doi.org/10.1086/380085">saving enough</a> for your golden years.</p>
<p>Your phone’s applications can take advantage of that technique as well. <a href="https://freedom.to/">Freedom</a>, for example, is an app that automatically blocks users from visiting “distracting” apps and websites, such as social media and video games. Unfortunately, it is one of the apps that Apple removed from its store.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.ransomly.com/">Ransomly</a> alters the default setting of a room – such as the dining room – to be phone and screen free by using a sensor and app to automatically turn off all devices when they’re in the vicinity. </p>
<h2>Rewards and punishments</h2>
<p>Offering rewards is another strategy that is grounded in behavioral research.</p>
<p>We tend to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1086/374702">highly value rewards earned through effort</a>, even when they have no cash value. Indeed, smartphone software frequently takes advantage of this idea, such as in various apps that offer “badges” for hitting certain daily fitness milestones. </p>
<p>Productivity apps incorporate these rewards as well by providing users with points for prizes – such as shopping discounts and yoga experiences – when they meet their screen-time goals. Since static rewards become demotivating over time, choose an application that provides <a href="https://doi.org/10.1086/679418">uncertain and surprising rewards</a>. </p>
<p>An even more powerful motivator than earning rewards can be losing them. That’s because research shows that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.5.1.193">losing has a larger impact on behavior than winning</a>, so if you’re serious about changing your behavior try an application that incurs critical costs. Examples include <a href="https://www.beeminder.com/">Beeminder</a>, which takes US$5 from your credit card for every goal you don’t meet, and <a href="https://www.forestapp.cc/en/">Forest</a>, which provides you with the chance to grow a beautiful animated tree – or to watch it slowly wither and die – depending on whether or not you meet your technology goals.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/271841/original/file-20190430-136800-1xo6xog.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/271841/original/file-20190430-136800-1xo6xog.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/271841/original/file-20190430-136800-1xo6xog.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/271841/original/file-20190430-136800-1xo6xog.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/271841/original/file-20190430-136800-1xo6xog.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/271841/original/file-20190430-136800-1xo6xog.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/271841/original/file-20190430-136800-1xo6xog.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Time’s up.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/bangkok-thailand-feb-172019-man-use-1314294920?src=ihdGnBZfjLQ0dvU4oNkMVA-1-40">Thaspol Sangsee/Shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Persistence pays</h2>
<p>Persistence is one of the hardest parts of accomplishing any new goal, from losing weight to learning how to cook.</p>
<p>Research suggests that capitalizing on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/2372732214550405">social motivations</a> – like the need to fit in – can encourage <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2016.12858">persistent behavioral change</a>. </p>
<p>Constant connection to technology undermines happiness, relationships and productivity. Applications that take advantage of the latest insights from behavioral science can help us disconnect and get on with living our lives.</p>
<p><em>This is an updated version of an article originally published on Dec. 4, 2018.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/116220/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ashley Whillans receives funding from Harvard University's Mind Brain and Behavioural Interfaculty Initiative and Foundation of Human Behavior Initiative. She is affiliated with the Harvard Kennedy School's Behavioural Insights Group. She consults as a behavioral scientist for Edleman and Maritz. Neither of these organisations directly benefit from this article.
</span></em></p>Software makers including Apple have been creating apps aimed at limiting how much time we spend using our smartphones. A behavioral scientist explains how – and whether – they work.Ashley Whillans, Assistant Professor of Business Administration, Harvard UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1092942019-01-11T09:18:57Z2019-01-11T09:18:57ZWhy we shouldn’t take selfies at disaster-affected areas<p>Recently a selfie <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/26/destruction-gets-more-likes-indonesias-tsunami-selfie-seekers?fbclid=IwAR00fgVOgPLsoGMqAwR0E7WdUCdp7si6JBR1KODWGge_I4bfq3-40e-xrKw">showing a group of women</a> posing in front of the wreckage from the Sunda Strait tsunami went viral on social media. </p>
<p>The photo stirred debates on whether it is appropriate or not to take selfies at disaster areas. Some <a href="https://lifestyle.kompas.com/read/2018/12/27/171008020/boleh-saja-berfoto-di-lokasi-bencana-tetapi">social media experts</a> view this attitude can be accepted, saying that such practice is normal in the era of social media. I disagree. Taking selfies at disaster sites is wrong on many levels. Not only it poses risks but the action also indicates mental issues.</p>
<h2>Selfies amid disasters is common everywhere</h2>
<p>The act of taking selfies at disaster sites is oddly pervasive in Indonesia. In July 2015, <a href="https://www.merdeka.com/teknologi/terlalu-pesawat-hercules-jatuh-warga-justru-asyik-selfie.html">a group of bystanders posed</a> in front of a plane wreckage, in Medan, North Sumatra. </p>
<p>Then, in mid-2017 a massive crowd visited the location of terrorist attacks in Kampung Melayu, East Jakarta. They gathered around the crime scene – <a href="http://poskotanews.com/2017/05/25/terobos-lokasi-bom-kampung-melayu-bapak-anak-dianggap-mau-piknik/">some raising their smartphones and taking pictures of the aftermath</a>.</p>
<p>In other countries, taking selfies at disaster sites are both popular and controversial too. <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/labour-candidate-amran-hussain-defends-selfie-stick-picture-on-beach-where-tunisian-massacre/ar-AAch5ZX?ocid=UP97DHP">A health consultant</a> was heavily criticised for using a selfie stick to take a group picture in a beach resort in Tunisia, where 38 people were killed by a gunman with links to the Islamic State (IS). In Nepal, a large group of people were reported to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/04/27/nepals-famous-dharahara-tower-becomes-site-for-selfies-after-devastating-earthquake/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.f41ebb02906f">take a selfie with the wreckage</a> of the Dhahara Tower, that was reduced to rubble after the 2015 Nepal earthquake.</p>
<h2>Why it is not okay to take selfies in disasters.</h2>
<p>Posing for selfies after horrendous events have become a regular activity in our daily life. It is almost as regular as people stopping by to see the aftermath of a traffic accident.</p>
<p>Media expert from Queen Mary University, UK, Yasmin Ibrahim wrote <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14682753.2015.1116755?journalCode=rjmp20">a thought-provoking article</a> on this topic. She called this phenomenon as ‘disaster selfie’ or ‘disaster porn’ and defines it as a “disconcerting element of self-voyeurism in the post-disaster space”. </p>
<p>Carl Jung, a prominent psychoanalyst, argues that naturally, humans love to watch others’ suffer because it is entertaining and we are not directly affected by it. By watching others’ misery, we are given the chance to judge and laugh at people, but we are free from feeling the misery. He coined a term <a href="https://www.salon.com/2012/02/18/the_science_of_rubbernecking/">corpse preoccupation</a> to refer to the personal desire to see strange and horrible things. </p>
<p>Jung believes that inside every human, there is a shadow that represents the darkest side of humanity. He argues that the more we suppress the shadow, the stronger it will become. This is why it is hard to avoid the temptation to stare at others’ despair. Therefore staring is irresistible as it fulfils the desire to let the negativity to rule, without committing any crimes. </p>
<p>When we stare at others’ despair, a prominent philosopher from Driyarkara School of Philosophy, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4939392-memahami-negativitas">Frankie Budi Hardiman</a> also indicates that we are looking for more information. The kind of of look is driven by “the unnecessary need to know” and its nature is distant, judging, egocentric and exploitative. An onlooker uses victims as a mere entertaining object to fulfil their desire. In this case, seeing means nothing or even a gesture of refusal to take part. It is not directed to understand nor to help the victims.</p>
<p>It is terrifying to know that the habit of “staring” others’ misery, that implies others’ sorrow as an entertaining commodity, is deeply rooted in our society. The practice of staring becomes more upsetting when people take selfies as they don’t only see but also document the misery of others and distribute them on social media. </p>
<p>This is a serious moral issue because it is even worse than being a bystander. It is also a symptom of social pathology, which is the loss of empathy.</p>
<h2>Safety concern</h2>
<p>One would argue that <a href="https://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2018/12/28/its-normal-to-take-a-selfie-in-disaster-stricken-areas-social-media-observer.html">taking pictures</a> at disaster-affected areas is acceptable. Some may argue that the photos are needed to confirm the aid distributions. I do agree, partly, as long as it is not intended to gain (individual) trivial popularity on social media, such as getting more likes. </p>
<p>However, apart from moral hazards, taking a selfie in a disaster can create safety issues. </p>
<p>During an evacuation of a wildfire, for instance, curious people who want to take selfies could put their lives at risk of catching fire. Another thing is they may also hinder the evacuation process. </p>
<h2>Focus on victims</h2>
<p>One solution to control this attitude is by trying to put ourselves in the victims’ shoes. Would you like to have strangers posing for pictures while you suffer? I believe no human being is willing to be treated in such a way. </p>
<p>It is psychologically painful for the victims as they suffer from double victimisation – not getting necessary help while involuntarily made to be part of ‘the show.’</p>
<p>We must empathise with victims and consider what they are going through. I understand that information technology, particularly social media, has veered from the sublime to the ridiculous as it changes our ways to attain information. But if we are aware that we can do nothing to help the victim, at least please lessen their burden by not using them as an object to feed our nosiness.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/109294/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rizqy Amelia Zein tidak bekerja, menjadi konsultan, memiliki saham, atau menerima dana dari perusahaan atau organisasi mana pun yang akan mengambil untung dari artikel ini, dan telah mengungkapkan bahwa ia tidak memiliki afiliasi selain yang telah disebut di atas.</span></em></p>Taking selfie at disaster sites is so wrong at many levels. Not only it poses risks but the action also indicates mental issuesRizqy Amelia Zein, Assistant Lecturer in Social and Personality Psychology, Universitas AirlanggaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1040782018-10-03T14:10:31Z2018-10-03T14:10:31ZSouth African law needs a zero tolerance approach to racist utterances<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/238446/original/file-20180928-48659-1sx21na.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was recently the subject of a racist video rant.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Lintao Zhang/EPA</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>A “selfie” video rant has landed a South African man, Kessie Nair, in hot water. Nair faces six counts of crimen injuria and two of incitement to public violence after recording himself <a href="https://www.thesouthafrican.com/kessie-nair-arrested-k-word-cyril-ramaphosa/">spewing racist language</a> at the country’s President Cyril Ramaphosa. He has since <a href="https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/forgive-me-kessie-nair-apologises-to-ramaphosa-public-for-k-word-slur-20180926">apologised</a> to the president.</p>
<p>But what is crimen injuria, and why is it being used in this instance?</p>
<p>Crimen injuria is a supple common law offence that has been applied to a diverse array of conduct. It’s a unique feature of South African criminal law, and focuses on the protection of dignity and privacy, rather than the protection of reputation, which is encompassed by the <a href="https://docplayer.net/61883297-Protecting-dignity-under-common-law-and-the-constitution-the-significance-of-crimen-iniuria-1-in-south-african-criminal-law.html">law of defamation</a>. </p>
<p>It’s <a href="https://www.saps.gov.za/faqdetail.php?fid=9">defined</a> in South Africa as “unlawfully and intentionally impairing the dignity or privacy of another person”. The early recorded cases tended to involve incidents of private or public indecent exposure and invasions of privacy, especially cases involving what’s colloquially termed “peeping Toms”. </p>
<p>Subsequently, the crime was also applied to demeaning conduct and offending words. This includes the deeply racist and derogatory term <a href="https://www.news24.com/Columnists/GuestColumn/mogoeng-we-are-too-soft-on-racism-20161108"><em>“kaffir”</em></a>, which was central to another recent high profile case of crimen injuria. A woman named Vicki Momberg was sentenced to three years in prison (one of which was suspended) for her racist abuse of black police officers at a crime scene. This was caught on camera. </p>
<p>The severity of Momberg’s sentence caught headlines: it’s believed to be <a href="https://theconversation.com/jail-time-for-south-african-woman-using-racist-slur-sets-new-precedent-94179">the first case</a> resulting in a substantial prison sentence for racist utterances alone. Critics lauded the magistrate in Momberg’s case for taking a zero tolerance approach to racism. In Nair’s case, too, there has been a swift and loud public outcry for a harsh penalty.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1044802842672988162"}"></div></p>
<p>But does a zero tolerance approach necessarily mean harsher penalties? Is it a good precedent to use prison for harmful words alone rather than harmful actions? Momberg’s sentence is being <a href="https://citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/1988865/momberg-to-appeal-prison-sentence/">appealed</a>; this is due to be heard in November. The outcome of this appeal is bound to have an impact on Nair’s case, should he be convicted. So what can be learned from previous similar cases?</p>
<h2>The costs of prison</h2>
<p>Even though the use of the word <em>“kaffir”</em> is currently considered one of the most serious forms of verbal crimen injuria, courts have been reluctant to assign prison sentences to such convictions. </p>
<p>In one instance, a prison sentence for a man who directed the word at a black traffic officer was <a href="http://www.saflii.org/za/cases/ZAECHC/2004/14.html">overturned on appeal</a>. Part of the reason for the appeal judge’s decision was that “neither [the Defence] nor [the State] were able to refer us to any decision of the High Court in which an effective term of imprisonment was imposed or confirmed on review or appeal in a case of crimen iniuria of this nature”. </p>
<p>Arguably there is sound justification for the court’s reluctance to assign prison terms for verbal crimen injuria. Prison is expensive for society. It costs the taxpayers <a href="http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2017-07-18-fact-sheet-the-state-of-south-africas-prisons/">over R100 000 a year</a> to house an inmate in prison. That money could be going to education, employment initiatives and other social services to help prevent offending in the first place.</p>
<p>Prison also costs society in non-monetary terms. In many respects prison contributes to a cycle of offending and desocialisation that causes widespread damage in communities. So, prison should be reserved for the most serious offences and for offenders who pose a risk to society.</p>
<h2>Deterrence</h2>
<p>Calls to impose harsh prison sentences for verbal crimen injuria are often premised on the need to deter such behaviour. Prison sentences are unlikely to achieve this laudable goal. </p>
<p>There are two aspects to deterrence in criminal justice. The first is called <a href="https://legaldictionary.net/general-deterrence/">general deterrence</a>. This entails using punishment to deter other would-be offenders from committing similar crimes. The second aspect is called <a href="https://legaldictionary.net/specific-deterrence/">specific deterrence</a>: using the punishment to deter a particular offender from offending again in the future.</p>
<p>Regarding general deterrence, <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/au/principled-sentencing-9781841137179/">research has shown</a> for many decades that the most important feature in using the criminal justice system to deter would-be offenders is not the severity of punishment. The concepts of “certainty” and “publicity” are far more important. In other words, even if the death penalty could be applied for crimen injuria, if offenders believe they will not be caught it will do little to deter them. </p>
<p>Conversely, a fine that’s believed to be certain, due to the consistency with which it’s applied as well as the publicity of its application, will put far more people off the offensive conduct.</p>
<p>From a specific deterrence perspective, prison is a particularly blunt tool to rid people of racism. Journalist <a href="https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2018-03-29-analysis-why-the-vicki-momberg-racism-sentence-deserves-scrutiny/">Rebecca Davis’s observations</a> of the Momberg case ring true here:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>There are presumably few people who would argue that time in prison will ‘cure’ Momberg of her evidently deeply ingrained racism. A jail term in this case may feel intuitively satisfying to many, but does little to address the wider social problem of racism and its causes.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>A smarter approach</h2>
<p>The frequency of apparent incidences of verbal crimen injuria involving racism displays that the criminal justice system must adopt a zero tolerance approach. But this approach needs to be a much smarter one than simply throwing these offenders in prison. </p>
<p>It’s too soon to tell if Nair’s case will result in a conviction. Currently it is postponed for him to undergo psychiatric evaluation to determine whether he is mentally fit to stand trial. </p>
<p>If Nair is eventually convicted and punished, the criminal justice system should devise a sentence that has the sophistication, constructiveness and humanity that’s so devoid from his reprehensible behaviour.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/104078/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kelly Phelps does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Calls to impose harsh prison sentences for verbal crimen injuria are often premised on the need to deter such behaviour.Kelly Phelps, Senior Lecturer in Criminal Justice, University of Cape TownLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/994182018-08-14T13:59:49Z2018-08-14T13:59:49ZMaking sunlight liquid – a brief history of sunflowers<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/226736/original/file-20180709-122271-nk7jdx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/sunflower-field-260952233?src=kP65dPqQ-qKiuDORmXRfqQ-1-6">Salajean/Shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Fields of sunflowers are now a common – and beautiful – sight all over the world. They have inspired artists from Van Gogh to Klimt, and continue to do so in the age of Instagram, if the recent selfie craze is anything to go by and as one Canadian sunflower farm discovered. It was <a href="https://metro.co.uk/2018/08/04/sunflower-farm-forced-to-close-after-7000-tourists-arrived-to-take-selfies-7797626/">forced to shut</a> after thousands of tourists seeking the perfect selfie caused chaos. An astonishing 7,000 vehicles caused a traffic jam stretching over four kilometers.</p>
<p>But when sunflowers were introduced to Europe from the Americas in the early 16th century they were little more than garden novelties. The 16th-century English herbalist, John Gerard, was disappointed that the sunflowers in his Holborn garden in London were only 4.3 metres tall (those of his European competitors reached 7.3 metres). Today, sunflowers, with their massive, yellow flower heads are among the most recognisable plants on the planet.</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/231733/original/file-20180813-2894-ocj0a9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/231733/original/file-20180813-2894-ocj0a9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=757&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/231733/original/file-20180813-2894-ocj0a9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=757&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/231733/original/file-20180813-2894-ocj0a9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=757&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/231733/original/file-20180813-2894-ocj0a9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=951&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/231733/original/file-20180813-2894-ocj0a9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=951&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/231733/original/file-20180813-2894-ocj0a9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=951&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Van Gogh’s sunflowers.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunflowers_(Van_Gogh_series)#/media/File:Vincent_Willem_van_Gogh_127.jpg">Wikimedia Commons</a></span>
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<p>The growth in their prevalence – and that of sunflower selfie snaps – is largely due to their ballooning use for oil. Over the last 60 years, changes to our diets and industrial needs mean the area of global oil crop production has <a href="http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#home">more than doubled</a>. Four oil crops consume most of this land: oil palm, soya, rape and sunflower.</p>
<p>Sunflowers have two main commercial uses, oil and confectionery (for direct seed consumption). Oil varieties of the flower have small, black, oil-rich seeds with thin hulls, which are pressed to produce an edible, almost tasteless, pale oil, rich in unsaturated fatty acids (especially oleic acid and linoleic acid). The oil is popular for cooking, margarine manufacture and even bio-diesel production. Leftovers from oil extraction are used to make high-protein animal feed. Confectionery types, on the other hand, have large, striped, oil-poor seeds with thick hulls. Both oil and confectionery types are the results of centuries of careful selection and breeding from wild plants.</p>
<p>In North America, the sunflower’s native continent, the harvest contributes little to global production; peak production happened in the late 1970s only to fall dramatically in the 1980s. Today, most sunflowers are grown in the <a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-top-sunflower-seed-producing-countries-in-the-world.html">former Soviet Union</a>. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl_a3lyhwhf/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<h2>Soviet sunflowers</h2>
<p>The annual sunflower, a member of a genus of about 50 species from the Americas, was domesticated in North America about 5,000 years ago. Native North American uses of sunflower ranged from food and medicine, through a fibre and dye plant to a source of musical instruments and bird snares. </p>
<p>Commercial interest in sunflowers as an oil crop was slow to develop across most of Europe and North America. In contrast, Russians were using sunflowers as an oil crop by the late 18th century, perhaps because the Russian Orthodox Church did not prohibit the oil’s use during Lent. By the end of the 19th century, Russians had selected highly productive oil and confectionery varieties, which were re-imported to North America in the baggage of <a href="https://www.sunflowernsa.com/all-about/history/">Russian immigrants</a>.</p>
<p>During the early 20th century, the Soviet plant breeder Vasilii Stephanovich Pustovoit began selecting sunflowers for oil content. In 1913 seeds contained approximately 30% oil, by the late 1950s seeds contained approximately <a href="https://kisslibrary.com/book/FCC4192DBBDBAA25CCAF?utm_source=ne-dl-a-0509-4&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=newtraf&search=Oil+Crops%3A+4+%28Handbook+of+Plant+Breeding%29&x=1786859">50% oil</a>. Much of the change was achieved by breeding for thin hulls surrounding the kernels. By the 1960s, Western commercial sunflower oil production was based on the Soviet sunflower variety “Peredovik”.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-flower-breeders-who-sold-x-ray-lilies-and-atomic-marigolds-59504">The flower breeders who sold X-ray lilies and atomic marigolds</a>
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<p>Soviet sunflower seeds even got mixed up with the Cold War – high-quality seeds surreptitiously moved among Soviet and American plant breeders.</p>
<p>Soviet sunflower breeders used naturally occurring variation within the annual sunflower to make commercial progress. But by the mid 20th century, North American breeders were taking a different approach, crossing wild and cultivated sunflower species to exploit the yield advantages associated with hybrid vigour. Today, most commercial sunflower farmers grow hybrid sunflower seed.</p>
<h2>Hybrid varieties</h2>
<p>Hybrid sunflower seed can be made by slowly, meticulously and expensively emasculating individual flowers to create females, which are then pollinated by hand. Alternatively, mutant sunflowers, incapable of producing fertile pollen, are used as female parents in hybrid crosses.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/231734/original/file-20180813-2924-lx2lw5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/231734/original/file-20180813-2924-lx2lw5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/231734/original/file-20180813-2924-lx2lw5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=820&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/231734/original/file-20180813-2924-lx2lw5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=820&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/231734/original/file-20180813-2924-lx2lw5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=820&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/231734/original/file-20180813-2924-lx2lw5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1030&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/231734/original/file-20180813-2924-lx2lw5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1030&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/231734/original/file-20180813-2924-lx2lw5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1030&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Helianthus annuus, 1882.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Helianthus_annuus_-_001x.jpg">Wikimedia Commons</a></span>
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<p>Insects are essential for producing the vast quantities of the hybrid sunflower seed planted each year, since pollen must be transferred from male-fertile to male-sterile plants. Without insects, hybrid sunflower seed production would be uneconomic. But once in the farmer’s field, the sunflower crop does not rely on insects: crop seeds are produced by flowers that are fertilised with their own pollen. But new seeds will have to be purchased for the next season.</p>
<p>Sunflower breeding continues in earnest today. New demands are placed on breeders by the environments in which farmers want to grow sunflowers and by consumers in the ways they want to use the harvest. Height, for example, is something every child wants their sunflower to achieve. But to the farmer, tall sunflowers must be avoided. Energy used to push up stems cannot be used to make seeds. And heavy rains and strong winds will knock over tall, top-heavy plants. </p>
<p>The dramatic changes of form and use of sunflowers over the last century show what can be achieved by breeders if suitable genetic resources are available. If we continue to adapt sunflowers to our needs as climates change, we must ensure diverse genes are conserved for future generations – ensuring those sunflower fields remain on offer as the perfect place to take a picture. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/after-svalbard-why-safety-of-world-seed-vaults-is-crucial-to-future-food-security-79586">After Svalbard: why safety of world seed vaults is crucial to future food security</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/99418/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stephen Harris does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Fields of sunflowers are now a common sight all over the world – but this has only been the case relatively recently.Stephen Harris, Associate Professor in Plant Sciences, University of OxfordLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/998582018-07-25T20:09:07Z2018-07-25T20:09:07ZWhy restricting social media is not a solution to dangerous behaviours in India<p>Earlier this month, in the Indian state of Rajasthan, bystanders took <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-11/indian-selfie-obsession-hits-new-low/9982380">selfies</a> while three men lay dying after a road accident. The week before, two men were beaten to death by a mob in the state of Assam after false rumours of their involvement in a kidnapping were spread on <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-12/india-whatsapp-killings-as-fake-child-kidnap-video-spreads/9861788">WhatsApp</a>. And a <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309738417_Me_Myself_and_My_Killfie_Characterizing_and_Preventing_Selfie_Deaths">study recently found</a> that India is the world leader when it comes to selfie-related accidents.</p>
<p>Only around 30% of Indians <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/255135/internet-penetration-in-india/">have access to the internet</a> and under 15% use <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/240960/share-of-indian-population-using-social-networks/">social media</a>, but social media and selfies have captured the public imagination. </p>
<p>Some fear that the social media sensation has gone too far, encouraging dangerous behaviours and exacerbating tensions between groups. Others are using social media to bring about positive social change.</p>
<h2>Selfies: from pop culture to politics</h2>
<p>Selfies have certainly become a much more prominent part of Indian society in recent years.</p>
<p>Part of this has to do with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTFoE-VkkaU">Bollywood actors</a> and other entertainers spreading the popularity of selfie culture through films, music and television. The chorus of the song “Selfie Pulla” from the Tamil movie Kaththi, for instance, is a catchy repetition of “Let’s take a selfie, pulla (girl)”. It also includes the lines, “Let’s live in Instagram, let’s shoot and snap every moment of our life”, and “Let’s share on Facebook to get unlimited likes and shares”.</p>
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<p>India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, is also a skilled <a href="https://www.firstpost.com/india/fuelled-by-new-tech-narendra-modi-leads-new-media-charge-as-traditional-media-turns-increasingly-redundant-4723651.html">social media</a> user who has the <a href="https://twiplomacy.com/ranking/the-50-most-followed-world-leaders-in-2018/">second-highest Twitter following</a> of any world leader (after a certain @realDonaldTrump) and is the <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/hindi/en/article/2018/05/03/indian-pm-narendra-modi-worlds-most-liked-leader-facebook">most “liked” leader in the world on Facebook</a>.</p>
<p>But with this enthusiasm for social media has come criticism. In 2015, Modi encouraged fathers to send him photos of themselves with their daughters via Twitter, using the hashtag <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.in/2015/06/28/selfiewithdaughter-_n_7681260.html">#SelfieWithDaughter</a>. The initiative was part of efforts to reduce the preference for male children.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/narendra-modi-indias-social-media-star-struggles-to-get-government-online-73656">Narendra Modi, India's social media star, struggles to get government online</a>
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<p>But feminists were <a href="http://theladiesfinger.com/yep-selfies-and-sanskar-will-totes-save-our-betis/">not impressed</a>, taking issue with the failure of the initiative to adequately address the issue, the invisibility of mothers in the campaign, and the hypocrisy of some supporters who had otherwise misogynist Twitter feeds. </p>
<p>Actress <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/SethShruti">Shruti Seth</a> tweeted, “A selfie is not a device to bring about change Mr. PM. Try reform,” with the hashtag #selfieobsessedPM.</p>
<h2>Selfie culture turns dangerous</h2>
<p>Such is the explosion of selfie culture that young Indians have gone to great lengths in pursuit of the perfect shot. Sadly, an 18-year-old woman <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-35289536">drowned</a> after she and her friends fell into the sea while taking selfies in a Mumbai suburb. A young man died while taking a selfie on <a href="https://www.khaleejtimes.com/international/india/indian-student-dies-while-taking-selfie-on-train-top">top of a train</a> in Delhi.</p>
<p>To curb this occasionally fatal quest for online “likes”, authorities are starting to take action. The Ministry of Railways <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/refrain-from-selfies-stunts-near-rail-tracks-railway-minister/articleshow/62651664.cms">issued a warning</a> to young people taking selfies near train tracks, while the Mumbai police identified and publicised <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/mumbai-police-identify-16-no-selfie-zones-after-drowning/story-p24CsQRfNfh5RdEI0FevWO.html">16 selfie danger zones</a> and the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-35289536">Karnataka government</a> in southwestern India announced plans for a safe selfie campaign.</p>
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<p>Among other recent measures, the Hindu <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34118109">Kumbh Mela</a> festival was declared a “no selfie zone” to avoid stampedes, and selfie sticks were banned at 46 <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/asi-bans-selfie-sticks-at-46-site-museums-in-india/story-8EtFcAwcHgMKp4YFcUenTK.html">museums</a> across the country to protect archaeological artefacts.</p>
<p>The backlash has also extended to college campuses. At many university colleges, <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/delhi-university-students-approach-dcw-over-notice-banning-selfies-combing-hair/articleshow/56762099.cms">selfies</a> and <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/kirori-mal-college-bans-cellphones-in-classrooms-students-say-its-just-not-on/">mobile phones</a> have been banned for reasons ranging from destruction of the <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/news/story/aligarh-college-puts-up-notice-to-ban-taking-selfies-asks-to-use-phones-in-assigned-corners-1149489-2018-01-19">academic culture</a> to facilitating kidnapping and <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/ban-mobile-phones-in-schools-colleges-legislature-panel/article6204065.ece">rape</a>.</p>
<h2>Mob violence fuelled by WhatsApp</h2>
<p>Authorities have also targeted WhatsApp, the largest online communication platform in India with over <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/280914/monthly-active-whatsapp-users-in-india/">200 million users</a>. </p>
<p>In recent months, some two dozen innocent people <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/07/18/technology/whatsapp-india-killings.html">have been killed</a> by angry mobs in India after false rumours of child kidnappings were spread on WhatsApp.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">An edited video that sparked fears of child abduction on WhatsApp.</span></figcaption>
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<p>To try to curb incidents of mob violence, the <a href="http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=180364">Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY)</a> recently mandated that WhatsApp “ensure that their platform is not used for such malafide activities”. In response, <a href="https://www.thewire.in/tech/to-combat-fake-news-in-india-whatsapp-to-limit-forwarding-of-messages">WhatsApp</a> announced it would test a feature that would prevent Indian users from forwarding messages to more than five people or groups at once. </p>
<p>In the highly militarised state of Jammu and Kashmir, a <a href="https://scroll.in/latest/884872/j-k-kishtwar-administration-asks-those-running-whatsapp-groups-to-get-registered-in-10-days">district magistrate</a> has gone so far as to order all WhatsApp group administrators to register with the police.</p>
<p>This idea that new media fans the flames of communal tension is also making <a href="https://scroll.in/article/874565/internet-shutdown-most-states-continue-to-block-services-without-adhering-to-the-centres-new-rules">internet shutdowns</a> an increasingly common strategy in times of unrest.</p>
<h2>New media, old issues</h2>
<p>Are social media platforms really to blame for social ills, though? </p>
<p>In a recent <a href="https://thewire.in/law/whatsapp-lynching-is-a-smokescreen-we-need-better-laws-to-deal-with-mob-violence">article</a>, Divij Joshi, a research fellow at the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, argues that authorities in India should be focusing on the social issues contributing to mob violence, rather than the platforms used to inflame tensions and spread rumours.</p>
<p>A similar point is made by a team of researchers from a global social media research project called <a href="http://www.ucl.ac.uk/why-we-post">Why We Post</a>. Digital platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook make new forms of interaction between people possible. But, these researchers argue: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>the platform is surprisingly irrelevant to finding explanations for why and how people use social media. It provides the place, but not the cause nor the explanation.</p>
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<p>For example, in the South Indian field site for the project, researcher <a href="http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ucl-press/browse-books/social-media-in-south-india">Shriram Venkatraman</a> found that people connected mostly with others of similar social status online and some families restricted women’s access to the internet to prevent relationships with men. Social media does not create these class and gender inequalities. It is simply a new space where these old problems persist. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/facebook-is-fighting-social-media-identity-theft-in-india-but-its-a-global-problem-81471">Facebook is fighting social media identity theft in India, but it's a global problem</a>
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<p>Social media restrictions are not just ineffective solutions, they may also undermine India’s democracy. There is evidence that such restrictions are being used to <a href="https://internetdemocracy.in/reports/unshackling-expression-a-study-on-laws-criminalising-expression-online-in-asia/">silence voices critical of the government</a>. </p>
<p>As researchers from India’s <a href="https://internetdemocracy.in/">Internet Democracy Project</a> point out, the government and courts already have very broad powers to limit and censor online communication. Expanding these powers poses a serious threat to freedom of expression in the digital space. </p>
<h2>Social media for positive social change</h2>
<p>Restricting access to social media also overlooks its potential for positive social change. New media is being used in India to enable <a href="http://www.youthkiawaaz.com/">young people</a> and <a href="https://www.livemint.com/Consumer/Bj8phV6COEqlGMp3HhIuuL/CGNet-Swara-Shifting-the-power-of-journalism-to-the-mobile.html">marginalised groups</a> to tell their stories, for example, and to provide information on sensitive issues like <a href="http://itsoktotalk.in/">mental health</a> and <a href="http://www.ipsnews.net/2017/07/digitizing-family-planning-way-future/">sexual and reproductive health rights</a>.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/domestic-violence-and-facebook-harassment-takes-new-forms-in-the-social-media-age-50855">Domestic violence and Facebook: harassment takes new forms in the social media age</a>
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<p>Social justice organisations have also begun adapting their social media use to reach greater numbers of people. Japleen Pasricha, founder and director of <a href="https://feminisminindia.com/">Feminism in India</a>, told me her organisation added WhatsApp to their social media repertoire at the end of last year, hoping to make their content go viral to “counter the sexist memes and jokes we all receive in various family and friends’ WhatsApp groups”.</p>
<p>Some of this social justice work is aimed directly at <a href="http://itforchange.net/">transforming the way information technology is used</a> in India. This includes tackling the <a href="http://www.fat-net.org/">gender gap</a> in access to technology (71% of internet users in India are <a href="https://www.statista.com/topics/2157/internet-usage-in-india/">men</a>) and educating young people about staying <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLznJdjyNQbYx2WZdo2zFO3LjekGqnJavm&v=8n_TD_cj9J4">safe online</a>.</p>
<p>Social media may often be a tool for exacerbating the conflicts and reinforcing the inequalities of the offline world, but people across India are working to change this.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/99858/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amanda Gilbertson's research on young gender justice workers in Delhi was funded by a McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Melbourne.</span></em></p>As authorities crack down on selfies and social media, the underlying causes of conflict and potential to use social media to bring about positive social change are overlooked.Amanda Gilbertson, Lecturer in Youth and Contemporary India, Australia India Institute, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/962722018-05-13T20:30:20Z2018-05-13T20:30:20ZIs that selfie really worth it? Why face time with wild animals is a bad idea<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/218555/original/file-20180511-4803-1ryd77f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Kangaroos probably don't enjoy social media photos as much as we do.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Flickr</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The phenomenon of kangaroo selfies hit the headlines earlier this month, when several tourists were injured while feeding wild kangaroos in Lake Macquarie, north of Sydney. They may have wanted a memorable holiday snap, but ended up with rather more than they bargained for.</p>
<p>One <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-02/agro-kangaroos-addicted-to-carrots-attack-tourists/9716612">news report</a> described how the “cute and cuddly” animals had begun “viciously attacking people”. </p>
<p>Is that really fair on the kangaroos? Of all the adjectives you could use to describe an animal that is territorial, fiercely maternal and has large claws, “cuddly” is pretty far down the list.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/tinders-tiger-selfies-show-the-perils-of-wildlife-close-encounters-30083">Tinder's tiger selfies show the perils of wildlife close encounters</a>
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<p>The problem with that description of the incident is that it suggests that the kangaroos were to blame for the injuries. In reality, it was the fault of the people getting too close and offering them the wrong food. Having become so used to being handed carrots, we can hardly blame the kangaroos for being “hopped up”, as the news coverage punningly put it.</p>
<p>In India, another recent case ended in tragedy when a man attempted to take a selfie with a <a href="http://www.fox13news.com/news/man-tries-to-take-selfie-with-bear-bear-kills-him">bear</a>. The man reportedly turned his back on the bear and was then mauled to death.</p>
<h2>Selfie society</h2>
<p>The growing danger of animal selfies, and of feeding wild animals, is well documented. People have been killed and injured by tigers, such as in the case of a <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-503529/Tigers-maul-tourist-death-tries-photo-zoo-cage-bars.html">zoo visitor in India who climbed over a safety barrier</a> in search of a better photo. Wild long-tailed macaques at Bali’s Uluwatu Temple have got so used to being fed that they <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2132748-monkey-mafia-steal-your-stuff-then-sell-it-back-for-a-cracker/">steal tourists’ valuables</a> and only drop them when given snacks.</p>
<p>A 2016 <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jtm/article/23/2/tav026/2580644">study</a> in the Journal of Travel Medicine recommended that: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>…scenarios where selfies should be avoided include photographs taken from a height, on a bridge, in the vicinity of vehicular traffic, during thunderstorms, at sporting events, and where wild animals are in the background.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Interacting with wild animals isn’t just dangerous for people. It can be bad news for the animals too. A 2017 <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-55574-4_14">study</a> looked specifically at kangaroos who are exposed to wildlife tours. It concluded that both wild and captive kangaroos can be stressed by humans approaching them closely, and that the presence of tourists may drive them away from feeding, breeding or resting areas. It also noted that the potential knock-on effects for kangaroo population numbers are still unknown. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261517701000802">review in the journal Tourism Management</a>, written after a nine-year-old boy was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/may/01/patrickbarkham">killed by dingoes on Queensland’s Fraser Island in 2001</a>, confirmed that routinely feeding wild animals can alter their behaviour patterns and population levels. There was no suggestion that the boy was engaging in risky behaviour, but rather that the dingoes had become dangerously habituated to human presence, as a result of previous feeding by tourists and easy access to campsite food. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/218557/original/file-20180511-34024-d0udq3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/218557/original/file-20180511-34024-d0udq3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/218557/original/file-20180511-34024-d0udq3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/218557/original/file-20180511-34024-d0udq3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/218557/original/file-20180511-34024-d0udq3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/218557/original/file-20180511-34024-d0udq3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=556&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/218557/original/file-20180511-34024-d0udq3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=556&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/218557/original/file-20180511-34024-d0udq3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=556&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Advice to stay a safe distance from wild animals is all too often ignored.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Flickr</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>You might shake your head in disbelief at the idea of turning your back on a wild bear in search of the perfect selfie. But how many of you have taken a photo with an animal and posted it on social media? </p>
<p>These photographs, even if they are of habituated animals in urban areas or in a zoo, can endanger wild animals and cause them undue stress (as discussed in a previous <a href="https://theconversation.com/even-scientists-take-selfies-with-wild-animals-heres-why-they-shouldnt-61252">article</a>). Taking a selfie of a zoo animal can leave the impression that kangaroos, koalas and other “fluffy” animals act like this in the wild. People who don’t know about the normal behaviour of these animals may therefore think that these animals are OK to approach in the wild. This could explain why so many tourists still consider it safe to approach wild kangaroos.</p>
<p>While some wild animals are undoubtedly cute, we should be sensible enough not to expect them to be cuddly. We need to respect wild animals’ behaviour and territories, so as to avoid injury and live in harmony.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/even-scientists-take-selfies-with-wild-animals-heres-why-they-shouldnt-61252">Even scientists take selfies with wild animals. Here's why they shouldn't.</a>
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</em>
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<p>Zoos in Australia generally house hand-reared animals, many of which are used to being fed and petted by people in a safe and monitored environment. The animals are given carefully selected diets, as well as places to which they can retreat if they have had enough interaction. All of this helps to minimise the stress on the animals and the risk to people. And of course, there is the broader point that zoo animals deserve respect and are not just cuddly toys.</p>
<p>Just because you can pat and feed a kangaroo at a zoo, does not mean you can do it elsewhere. Zoos can play their part by promoting advice about safe behaviour around wild animals elsewhere. </p>
<p>So next time you’re lucky enough to see kangaroos or another animal in the wild, by all means take a photo - if you can do it from a safe distance. And ask yourself whether you really need to be in it too.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/96272/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kathryn Teare Ada Lambert does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Here’s some advice on taking selfies with wild animals: don’t. It’s not fun for the animal, and can have serious knock-on effects for their health. And you could be injured (or worse).Kathryn Teare Ada Lambert, Adjunct Lecturer/ Ecologist, University of New EnglandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/950612018-04-18T01:10:38Z2018-04-18T01:10:38ZRedefining travel at Indonesia’s selfie destination, Rabbit Town<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/215110/original/file-20180416-560-1tuazq8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=50%2C10%2C6679%2C3511&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Urban Light by Christ Burden at Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Rabbit Town displays a similar installation that allegedly copies Burden's work.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/suburbanadventure/38369862154/in/photolist-21sBzeu-iso9Fq-aUcRLT-5U7dA5-rtUYtq-eAC7p7-9SoZhh-adcFf6-dwKwbA-9dWfPD-e1QM6P-9jfq3u-dMwMnS-bDvAbW-4EgKoY-e5Xc5h-4PPrYv-jxiyxr-9yUmKd-99Mc5C-6Hu2jD-dDoAfk-ocmCn8-adwz7H-9aPGF9-e5Xe5E-sBMrNY-aRe8Eg-5QaPS6-e5RA1Z-9r1oSs-9r1pSq-9qbMgj-c8cZHS-5aJbk5-dbZyap-6Hy5i3-e5XdQu-8vBEiW-skmycG-9x5GfY-9r1p3f-6EBhBb-iFxXTq-9x5Gph-fgv3J3-TU2HhF-e42sau-aRe7XB-9x5Gi9">Terry Robinscon/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Since its February 23 opening, a theme park in Bandung, West Java, has sparked controversy. Rabbit Town has been marketed as <a href="https://travel.kompas.com/read/2018/04/05/104100627/berwisata-sambil-berswafoto-di-rabbit-town">a selfie destination</a>, inviting tourists to come and take “instagrammable selfies” at a number of installations inside the theme park. The park has been criticised for copying installations from popular artworks to attract tourists. </p>
<p>Among the artworks allegedly plagiarised are <a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-ca-cm-lacma-urban-light-20180214-htmlstory.html"><em>Urban Light</em></a> by Chris Burden, whose artwork is on display at Los Angeles County Museum of Art in the US, and <a href="http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/yayoi-kusama-8094/yayoi-kusamas-obliteration-room"><em>Obliteration Room</em></a> by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusuma. Some installations are similar to artworks at the <a href="https://www.museumoficecream.com/">Museum of Ice Cream</a> in America. </p>
<p>The allegations of plagiarism have gone viral on social media. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2018/mar/29/rabbit-town-theme-park-very-familiar-works-of-art-indonesia">International media</a> have also raised the issue. Most media reports have <a href="http://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2018/03/30/selfies-root-of-all-evil-in-indonesian-tourism.html">condemned</a> Rabbit Town for copying famous international artworks for profit. </p>
<p>However, I believe the main issue behind the Rabbit Town phenomenon is more than plagiarism. Rabbit Town exists as its owners see business opportunities in the selfie craze in our society. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/BhZE25nh3Ad/?hl=id\u0026tagged=rabbittown","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<h2>‘Plagiarism everywhere’</h2>
<p>Rabbit Town is not the only tourist destination that copies from other sites. In Indonesia, we can find three tourist destinations that copied the original Hobbit House in New Zealand. There are Hobbit Houses in <a href="https://travel.detik.com/domestic-destination/d-3475505/wow-ada-rumah-hobbit-di-yogyakarta">Yogyakarta</a>, in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBw2d3ifqX4">Tulungagung, East Java</a>, and in <a href="https://travel.detik.com/domestic-destination/d-3789604/mengintip-kampung-hobbit-di-bandung">Bandung</a>.</p>
<p>Other example include the <a href="https://travel.kompas.com/read/2015/12/24/140600727/Ke.Floating.Market.Bandung.Coba.Selfie.di.5.Spot.Ini">Floating Market</a> in Lembang, Bandung, which offers photo packages of people wearing traditional costumes from various countries with relevant backgrounds. It’s interesting to discuss why the Floating Market and similar destinations have drawn so many visitors despite unoriginal and plagiarised themes. </p>
<h2>Redefining space and tourist activities</h2>
<p>Visiting tourist destinations is no longer about the physical space. In the digital era, technology has played a significant role in redefining space for tourist activities. </p>
<p>French sociologist Henri Lefebvre explains that <a href="https://monoskop.org/images/7/75/Lefebvre_Henri_The_Production_of_Space.pdf">space is also defined by social practices</a>. Andre Jansson, an expert in communication geography from Karlstad University, has observed that <a href="https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/d42d/e14793f42f959b23c3373476414990289269.pdf">the logic of the media also defines these spatial practices</a>. Therefore, visiting tourist destinations is no longer just about the places but also about the experiences and the activities surrounding them. </p>
<p>With the technology, tourists nowadays do not think about the place, let alone its originality. They only want to take photos and upload them on social media to get recognition. </p>
<p>For example, in the old days, tourists went to Kota Gede, Yogyakarta, to visit the old cemetery of the Mataram Kingdom or to buy silver jewellery. Today the history or original function of the place no longer matters for many tourists. Many people visit Kota Gede only to take pictures of old houses with antique windows and doors as nice backgrounds for their pictures. After that, they can upload their selfie on Instagram. </p>
<p>Another example is when people go to restaurants. They no longer visit certain restaurants only to experience original food and nuances. When eating out, people also take pictures of the food and upload these on social media. </p>
<h2>Selfies harm tourism destinations?</h2>
<p>Many people believe that the Rabbit Town case shows how the <a href="http://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2018/03/30/selfies-root-of-all-evil-in-indonesian-tourism.html">selfie culture</a> may harm tourist destinations. But are such concerns valid?</p>
<p>British sociologist John Urry has introduced the concept “tourist gaze”: “to gaze upon or view a set of different scenes, of landscapes or townscapes”. He argues that <a href="https://books.google.co.id/books?id=8jRiz-yPEnMC&pg=PA1&hl=id&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=4#v=onepage&q&f=false">the gazing</a> is not a singular activity as it depends on social and historical contexts. </p>
<p>As technology allows us to record and distribute photos in seconds, the gazing activities then change. Taking selfies has become an inevitable part of travelling. Taking pictures has become people’s way to expand their gaze. </p>
<p>In other words, selfie culture is not a factor that degrades the tourism destinations but instead it expand tourists’ views in seeing the tourism spots. </p>
<p>From the above explanation, we learn that travelling no longer gives priority to originality as the most important reason for visits. The most important thing for tourists is to take pictures and distribute them online. This explains why tourist destinations with plagiarised concepts still draw many visitors. </p>
<h2>Welcoming <em>post-tourism</em> era</h2>
<p>American sociologist Dean MacCannel and the writer of <em>The Tourist</em> reminds us that every impression of originality in tourist attractions is staged, which he describes as “<a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/2776259?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents">staged authenticity</a>”. This also applies to places that claim they offer the most original concept. </p>
<p>The owners of tourist destinations see the stage as business opportunities. They build a nice theme park for visual reproduction, either by creating a new concept or by plagiarising other popular works, as Rabbit Town did. </p>
<p>Plagiarism in tourism can involving copying a global concept (Hobbit House) or replicating the local ones. The loss of spatial realm in a tourist destination is known as <em>post-tourism</em>. </p>
<p>Jansson encourages us to rethink <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160738318300057">post-tourism in the social media era</a>. He writes that the power of communication technology has created a new definition of travelling. Any place that can be recorded and shared via social media is a tourist attraction, and this is probably what is happening in Indonesia.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/95061/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Holy Rafika Dhona tidak bekerja, menjadi konsultan, memiliki saham, atau menerima dana dari perusahaan atau organisasi mana pun yang akan mengambil untung dari artikel ini, dan telah mengungkapkan bahwa ia tidak memiliki afiliasi selain yang telah disebut di atas.</span></em></p>Travelling will never be the same with the advances of communication technology. The recently opened theme park Rabbit Town shows this.Holy Rafika Dhona, Lecturer, Communication Department, Faculty of Psychology and Social Cultural Science, Universitas Islam Indonesia (UII) YogyakartaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/878652018-01-01T22:37:26Z2018-01-01T22:37:26Z#MeTourism: the hidden costs of selfie tourism<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/196042/original/file-20171123-6020-aa3n9n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6720%2C3611&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Selfie tourism is changing the experience of traveling for many people – and not necessarily in a positive way.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Technology has changed the way we travel. Smartphones, travellers’ comments and photos, search engines and algorithms can all inspire and empower us to plan complex journeys all over the globe within minutes. </p>
<p>Planning and booking tourism has always had an element of risk. One has to commit upfront – there is no sample to try before you buy, and no return policy. It is not surprising that people increasingly rely on social media content and networks to identify, evaluate and select their preferred tourism destination and suppliers. </p>
<p>But even if the final destination is beautiful, many social media users will now ask themselves a set of new questions. Is it the trendy and fashionable place that you want to be “seen” travelling? It this a place won’t be embarrassed to share this with your peers and followers online?</p>
<h2>In TripAdvisor we trust</h2>
<p>Increasingly, <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com.au">TripAdvisor</a> is the starting point for information (photos, videos, comments, blogs) for choosing a travel destination, particularly among millennials. </p>
<p>Travel inspired by social media has gained popularity because it saves time and reduces the purchase risk of travellers when searching for travel information and planning their trip. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/selfie-is-not-a-dirty-word-68966">Selfie is not a dirty word</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The universal penetration of smartphones has created the “always switched-on” tourists, who use their devices to share tourism experiences on the spot and in real time. Identifying, searching and sharing tourism experiences and information <a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/286408">have been identified</a> as the two top major ways in which social media has transformed tourism. </p>
<p>For many people, mobile phones have become their external brain when on the road. However, in some cases, continuous mobile phone use on holidays has led to tourists anthropomorphising their devices, by attributing them human characteristics and perceiving them as personal travel companions. </p>
<h2>‘Selfie gaze’ tourists</h2>
<p>These so-called “<a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-28231-2_13">selfie-gaze</a>” tourists see and experience the destination largely through their cameras and the comments and feedback they receive on their posts. </p>
<p>In this sense, their satisfaction does not depend on the quality of the destination and experience, but on how well they manage impressions and attract “likes” and positive comments.</p>
<p>The perception that those taking the selfie are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5422530/">being widely viewed</a> has also changed the way people consume places and what they see and how they behave at a destination. This is because online profiles and posts have to be carefully managed by tourists to highlight positive attributes, socially desirous experiences and present a more idealised self. </p>
<p>“Selfie-gaze” tourists do not only participate in touristic photography – they also artificially create it. One example of this is the infamous “duck-face” photo that so frequently appears in social media feeds. </p>
<p>Gone are the days that destinations had control of their image-making and communication. Once used as a travel memory, social media has converted personal photography to a significant source of travel inspiration and the most popular way of online communication, self-expression and identity formation. </p>
<h2>The Insta-tourist</h2>
<p>Instagram hosts more than 220 million photographs hashtagged with #selfie and more than 330 million hashtagged with #me. People go to such trouble to get the perfect picture of themselves — creating at least a moment that is artificial – in their quest for an image of authenticity. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/tinders-tiger-selfies-show-the-perils-of-wildlife-close-encounters-30083">Tinder's tiger selfies show the perils of wildlife close encounters</a>
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<p>Tourists get <a href="https://skift.com/2015/09/04/tourists-are-literally-dying-to-get-the-perfect-selfie/">killed</a>, <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/27/priest-condemns-selfie-taking-tourists-disturbing-worshippers/">condemned</a> by priests, or arrested by police for <a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/thailand-alcoholic-beverage-control-act-law">insulting</a> local culture and people, or <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4795028/Baby-dolphin-dies-tourists-selfies-Spain.html">disturb</a> local nature.</p>
<p>EU countries have banned selfies at major landmarks such as Eiffel Tower, while <a href="http://www.philstar.com/travel-and-tourism/2015/05/20/1456847/disney-world-bans-use-selfie-sticks">attractions</a> and museums ban the use of selfie sticks for the physical protection of other tourists.</p>
<p>In the quest of self-promotion and the search of an idealised tourism experience, my <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-51168-9_44">research</a> shows how tourists share fake and unrealistic information. This could include “checking-in” to places they haven’t been or pretending to be happy despite staying in terrible conditions. </p>
<p>Although this deviant online behaviour biases and dilutes others in their travel decisions, tourists continue doing it believing it doesn’t harm anyone. But it can distort the real travel experience and give people false expectations about destinations.</p>
<h2>Influencer marketing</h2>
<p>Tourism marketers spend more and more of their marketing budget on “influencer marketing”, a strategy referring to the use of celebrities and online opinion leaders to post favourable content for a brand. </p>
<p>The influencer market <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Advances-in-Social-Media-for-Travel-Tourism-and-Hospitality-New-Perspectives/Sigala-Gretzel/p/book/9781472469205">has been estimated</a> as having a value of US$10 to US$15 billion in 2017.
More than one-third of marketers now spend more than US$500,000 a year on it, and influencer posts on Instagram alone are worth US$255 million a month. Another <a href="https://influencermarketinghub.com/">recent survey</a> of marketers found that almost half (48%) anticipate their influencer marketing budgets will rise in 2017.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886913012890">Research</a> shows that it is not age, but the dark triad of personality traits – narcissism, Machiavellianism and psychopathy – that push people to pursue selfie glory regardless of the result. </p>
<p>Selfie-gaze tourism also lead to conspicuous consumption in which tourists travel to destinations and perform experiences in front of the camera to display economic power and attain or maintain social status.</p>
<h2>Deeper tourism education needed</h2>
<p>Obviously, it’s not useful to rail against basic human needs or deny the functional benefits of technology. But what we need instead is a serious education of tourists and citizens for a mindful use of social media before and while travelling. </p>
<p>This is an area of research that urgently needs to be explored to ensure technology use does not negatively influence travellers’ psychological, mental, emotional or even physical wellbeing.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>This article has been amended since its original publication. Several references have been changed to include more accurate references and links. Some phrasing has also been changed to distinguish it more clearly from that of the reference it draws on.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/87865/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Marianna Sigala is affiliated with CAUTHE, CHRIE and IFITT (all being non-for-profit academic associations).</span></em></p>Technology has changed the way we travel. While social media can be a useful tourism tool, we need more education to ensure ‘selfie tourism’ doesn’t become the norm.Marianna Sigala, Professor of Tourism - Director of the Centre for Tourism & Leisure Management, University of South AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/884122017-12-19T18:27:15Z2017-12-19T18:27:15ZArthur Collins’ sentencing for acid attack in London nightclub reveals the true nature of violent criminals<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/199976/original/file-20171219-4985-1stvz2u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/two-human-hand-holding-small-bottle-767480416">Shutterstock.</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Arthur Collins, former partner of reality TV star Ferne McCann, has been sentenced to 20 years, plus an extended licence period of five years for causing five counts of grievous bodily harm and nine counts of actual bodily harm when he threw acid across the packed dance floor of a nightclub in East London, during a night out in April 2017. </p>
<p>The sentence was handed down more than a month after Collins was found guilty of carrying out the acid attack, following a trial at Wood Green Crown Court in North London. At the trial, <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3358442/arthur-collins-acid-attack-guilty-ferne-mccann-boyfriend/">Collins claimed</a> that he threw the substance thinking it was a date-rape drug, after hearing a group of men plotting to spike a woman’s drink. But ultimately the jury saw through his attempt at deception. </p>
<p>Having spent years as a criminologist, researching the behaviour of violent men, I know that it’s not uncommon for cowardly, aggressive and selfish offenders to try to present themselves as heroes. The unfortunate and mundane reality is that violent offenders are most often <a href="http://hub.salford.ac.uk/cjh/2017/05/02/trauma-transformation-returning-repressed/">insecure, damaged people</a>. In contrast to the tortured, romantic gangsters we often see in films and on television, such men are usually conformist, shallow, selfish and callous. </p>
<p>On social media, Collins put himself across as the man with everything; an assured and attractive persona, with a celebrity girlfriend and a model life. His online posts – widely circulated by the tabloid press – frequently featured designer clothes and luxurious holidays. </p>
<p>Yet for all his glamorous pretences, Collins <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5079551/Collins-armed-acid-attack-crime-gang-bust-up.html">is not what he makes out</a>. At his trial, it emerged that Collins had <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-41973161">sent a text</a> to his sister days before the attack: “Tell mum to mind that little hand wash in my car acid”. He claimed the message referred to the shampoo – containing amino acid and coconut oil – which he used because he was worried about hair loss. He sent the text, he said, because he was concerned about his nieces finding and “biting it”. </p>
<p>But Collins was a man <a href="https://uk.news.yahoo.com/arthur-collins-involved-gangland-feud-acid-attack-103250835.html">familiar with the visceral, nasty violence</a> of criminal circles – perhaps that’s was why he was <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/4907075/guilty-arthur-collins-acid-attack-adams-crime-family-towie-ferne-mccann/">carrying acid on the night of the offence</a>. </p>
<h2>A corrosive trend</h2>
<p>Acid and other corrosives are becoming a more popular weapon among violent offenders. At the request of the Home Office, the National Police Chiefs’ Council <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/651756/IA_corrosives.pdf">collected data</a> from 39 police forces between November 2016 and April 2017, recording 408 cases of attacks using corrosive substances during the six-month period. Almost a quarter (21%) of these offenders were under 18, where the age of the offender was known.</p>
<p>According to Acid Survivors Trust International (<a href="https://www.acidviolence.org/">ASTI</a>), the UK has one of the highest rates of recorded acid attacks in the world. Worse, the foundation reports that charges were brought over just 414 of the 2,078 acid attacks recorded between 2011 and 2016. </p>
<p>These data paint a very different picture to <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/item/5d38c003-c54a-4513-a369-f9eae0d52f91">the common assumptions</a> about acid attacks, wherein the perpetrator is male, the victim female, and the violence is linked to “honour” crime. Rather, I am inclined to think the growth of acid attacks might simply be copycat behaviour, carried out by thoughtless, violent young men. </p>
<p>I have seen the imitation of violence take place within the criminal justice system before. The recent rise in acid attacks is actually reminiscent of the instances of <a href="https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/534020/burns-inmate-HMP-Hewell-napalm-attack">“napalming” among prisoners</a>, which I have documented while <a href="https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/Documents/college-artslaw/law/Prison-Bullying-and-Victimisation.pdf">undertaking research on violence in Young Offender Institutions</a> (YOIs) since 2000. Young male prisoners would mix sugar with boiling water, and throw it in rivals’ faces to scar them. </p>
<p>In prison, these sorts of offences would spike alarmingly for a period, as young prisoners imitated one another. And just like the violent young men I worked with in prisons, many of the offenders using acid today have grown up an increasingly competitive world, where crime is a way of both making money, and forging a personal identity.</p>
<h2>Austerity bites</h2>
<p>Of course, acid attacks are not a new phenomenon. They were also used by gangsters <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/feb/11/acid-attacks-victorian-britain">in the Victorian era</a> to humiliate and disfigure rival gang members. There are some commonalities between that time, and today – not least a growing number of children are living in “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/apr/09/children-uk-victorian-conditions-inequality-child-poverty">Victorian conditions</a>”. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/199920/original/file-20171219-4965-g01cu9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/199920/original/file-20171219-4965-g01cu9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/199920/original/file-20171219-4965-g01cu9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/199920/original/file-20171219-4965-g01cu9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/199920/original/file-20171219-4965-g01cu9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/199920/original/file-20171219-4965-g01cu9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/199920/original/file-20171219-4965-g01cu9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/199920/original/file-20171219-4965-g01cu9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Mugshots of the Peaky Blinders – a Victorian crime syndicate.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/westmidlandspolice/8388310297/">West Midlands Police/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In the age of austerity, residents of UK cities are increasingly <a href="https://theconversation.com/no-austerity-clearly-hasnt-restored-fairness-to-the-welfare-system-69950">turning to charity</a> for regular meals, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/investing-in-warmer-housing-could-save-the-nhs-billions-82196">going without heating</a> to save money on fuel. And with police funding falling year on year, it’s no surprise that violence <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/c3250b52-bef8-11e7-9836-b25f8adaa111">might rise</a> as austerity bites.</p>
<p>Collins used acid to damage the looks of his rivals, so his actions bear some resemblance to the crimes of the Victorian era. Yet today’s acid attacks take place against the backdrop of a <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/12/15/selfitis-obsessive-need-post-selfies-genuine-mental-disorder/">culture obsessed with personal image</a>.</p>
<h2>Selfie society</h2>
<p>These days, everyone from celebrity starlets to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/people-react-anger-daily-mail-fashion-theresa-may-dress-holiday_uk_59788485e4b0e201d579ce15">politicians</a>, teenagers to grandparents, is being encouraged to <a href="https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/will-storr/selfie">embrace individualism</a> while being judged on their appearance. Society is becoming <a href="https://fullfact.org/economy/fifty-years-income-inequality/">ever more divided</a> between haves and have not’s. Life in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/inequality/2017/dec/16/journey-to-heart-of-britain-precarious-future-ebbw-vale">precarious, post-industrial Britain</a> has been accompanied by the rise of social media and the cult of the celebrity selfie. </p>
<p>So when young people today turn violent and lash out at others, it’s no wonder that the core logic of their attacks centres around damaging their rivals’ appearances. Indeed, it may be one explanation for the fact that offences such as acid attacks and “bagging” – stabbing someone in the buttocks so badly that the feeling and nerve damage means that they require a colostomy bag – are <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/london-stab-victim-medics-extreme-violence-call-to-stop-knife-crime-brutality-9939397.html">on the rise</a> among violent young men, and those unfortunate enough to stand in their path. </p>
<p>Violent criminals are not the romantic, glamorous rebels of Hollywood movies – they are selfish, narcissistic men who will attack others with little thought for the consequences. But on a deeper level, the rise in acid attacks reflects British society’s corrosive fixation on physical appearance, as well as the shallow, unthinking nature of violent criminals.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/88412/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>James Treadwell does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>As former partner of TOWIE star Ferne McCann is sentenced for throwing acid in a nightclub, a criminologist considers the real reasons such attacks are on the rise.James Treadwell, Professor In Criminology, Staffordshire UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/840002017-09-18T10:55:16Z2017-09-18T10:55:16ZMonkey selfie case finally settled – but there are many similar animal rights battles to come<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/185878/original/file-20170913-27628-ade1pj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Untitled design</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Ondrej Prosicky / Shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The furore that erupted when David Slater, a British wildlife photographer, released a “selfie” taken by a macaque monkey in 2015 has only just reached <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/12/monkey-selfie-warring-parties-reach-settlement-over-court-case">legal resolution</a>. The animal rights group, PETA (“People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals”), which had filed on behalf of the macaque, allegedly named “Naruto”, withdrew its suit against Slater when he agreed to give 25% of any royalties from the selfie to animal welfare charities.</p>
<p>This case marks a high-profile opening salvo in a struggle that will be increasingly fought among animal rights activists, protectors of human intellectual property and defenders of the free market. The case has been generally reported as being about whether a macaque that took a selfie (and gained worldwide notoriety courtesy of Wikipedia) is entitled to copyright. While this account is fine as far it goes, the case also hints at the profound challenges that digital and animal cultures pose to the law’s recognition of human uniqueness.</p>
<p>The story begins with Wikipedia, whose “open source” and “open access” approach to knowledge production makes it the ultimate free market in cyberspace. Basically <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Policies_and_guidelines">anything is fair game</a> for inclusion on its pages if it is not prohibited either by its own editors, who are largely crowdsourced, or some explicit legal ruling.</p>
<p>When Wikipedia’s editors decided to feature the macaque selfie, Slater claimed that it was in violation of his copyright. The selfie had been taken while his camera was active but unattended in Indonesia, where he was on assignment photographing the rare monkeys. Wikipedia replied by saying that if anyone owned the copyright, it was the macaque who actually took the selfie. At that point, PETA got involved, suing Slater on behalf of the macaque for copyright infringement.</p>
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<h2>Monkey copyright</h2>
<p>The court had no problem dismissing the case, simply by arguing that copyright law was not designed to include animals as copyright-holders. But it also said that the law may be amended to include them in the future. In doing so, it tiptoed around the issue that PETA was keen on raising, namely, whether the monkey was morally entitled to whatever royalties might otherwise accrue to Slater as the copyright-holder. This helps to explain the out-of-court settlement, which left Slater the formal victor in the case. But that was really all that he was left with. Slater had been earning minuscule royalties from the selfie and even <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jul/12/monkey-selfie-macaque-copyright-court-david-slater">approached bankruptcy</a> as PETA’s case against him dragged on.</p>
<p>The most striking feature of the case is not the very idea that a monkey might hold copyright, but that the internet’s relatively unregulated market environment provided the opportunity to broach the issue. The placement of a photo in virtual as opposed to physical reality radically loosens our intuitions about ownership. This became clear in the recent flurry of cases around the multiple postings of nude celebrity selfies in social media. Defendants claimed loss of control over their image in a world where image control is everything. In a more profound sense, something similar is happening to the image of the human being itself in the monkey selfie case.</p>
<p>The monkey selfie case managed to level the playing field between the human and the animal because the distinction between producer and consumer is largely erased in cyberspace. Unless the law intervenes, an online object can be reframed and reappropriated as the user wishes. And among these reframings and reappropriations are accounts of what makes the object what it is. In the end, only the explicit disqualification of animals from copyright law ended up saving Slater, even though <a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/Technology/Tech-Culture/2014/0822/US-government-Monkey-selfies-ineligible-for-copyright">some legal experts admitted</a> that Naruto may have behaved toward the camera in a way that would make a comparably situated human eligible for copyright.</p>
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<h2>Marx and a macaque</h2>
<p>Faced with Slater’s original claim to copyright infringement, Wikipedia interestingly gave little weight to the core of Slater’s argument, which was that had he not gone to Indonesia, photographed the macaques and even set up the camera so that they might use it, the selfie would never have been taken. (Of course, Slater was also the one who allowed the photos to go online in the first place.) </p>
<p>Instead Wikipedia focused on the particular monkey’s skill in arranging the camera so as to take the striking selfie. To the ears of animal rights activists, Wikipedia made Slater sound like an employer who claims ownership over his employees’ labour because he took the effort to set up the business for which they work. When only humans are involved, it’s called exploitation. Why not extend the same concept to the macaques?</p>
<p>Whatever may have motivated Wikipedia to pursue this framing of the situation, it certainly resonates with the history of extending human rights. Thanks to Karl Marx, we understand exploitation as a form of injustice that comes when workers are denied the full fruits of their labour. Wikipedia opened the door to revisit Marx, and PETA charged through it. The original capitalist rejoinder was that the employer is the one who takes the initial risk, invests the capital and sets up the environment which makes the work possible and so the workers, who might otherwise not be employed, should be satisfied with a steady wage, not a share of the profits. One hears echoes of Slater’s defence here, including his claim that his photography was part of an effort to save the macaques from extinction.</p>
<p>But bound up in this dispute is a disagreement about whether all producers are also creators. Historically, in the human sphere, Marx ultimately won this argument, largely by appealing to a conception of the human that is both universal and exceptional: all (but only) humans are both producers and creators. Like today’s copyright law, Marx recognised a clear species barrier between humans and other animals when it comes to creativity. </p>
<p>Cyberspace’s blurring of the producer/consumer distinction may be opening the door to reimagining “creator” more generally, as the source of whatever makes an object valuable to its user. In that case, the law may need to be adjusted to provide legal protection to “creative” animals in the same spirit as it historically provided protection to “creative” workers.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/84000/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Steve Fuller does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Digital and animal cultures pose a profound challenge to the law’s recognition of human uniqueness.Steve Fuller, Auguste Comte Chair in Social Epistemology, University of WarwickLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/780502017-06-29T12:40:27Z2017-06-29T12:40:27ZAndy Warhol’s £6m selfie and how we can all now be famous for 15 minutes<p>One day in 1963, Andy Warhol walked into a New York photobooth and took what have become the world’s most famous selfies. One of these trailblazing self-portraits has just been <a href="http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2017/contemporary-art-evening-auction-l17022/lot.10.html">sold at a Sotheby’s auction</a> for just over £6m. </p>
<p>These selfies perfectly suited Warhol’s vision of the pop art era of the late 1950s and 1960s – they are quintessentially all-American, democratic and mechanical. Though photobooth pictures could not go viral like social media pictures can now, the use of a photobooth to make art was, in 1963, fiercely innovative and added to the aura of technical invention that surrounded Warhol, just like it surrounds selfies and social media now.</p>
<p>Selfies are the holy grail of social media: self-portraying photographs that are posted on a social networking site and tell stories that aim to engage large numbers of people. <a href="https://ssrn.com/abstract=2638273">Our latest research</a> has revealed three things that can help you to take pictures that are worth – if not millions of pounds – at least a thousand words, and without you having to <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-people-risk-their-lives-or-the-lives-of-others-for-the-perfect-selfie-55937">risk your life</a> for them. </p>
<p>Our team conducted three experiments online with workers from <a href="https://www.mturk.com/mturk/welcome">Amazon Mechanical Turk</a> which crowdsources expertise in a range of fields, one with students on computers in our university laboratory, and one corpus analysis – a method of looking at a body of evidence collectively – with independent coders. To determine exactly what people engage with when they look at pictures online, we showed participants different images. They rated these pictures on a number of photographic elements: point of view, content, “artsiness” and the like. They also indicated how likely they were to comment on the pictures if they saw them on social media.</p>
<p>These studies made it possible to isolate the things that cause people to stop caring about an online image – and to find pictures that engage them. Not only that, but they also helped to determine the sort of pictures on which people are most likely to comment. So here are three things that enthusiastic selfie-portrait artists need to know.</p>
<h2>1. People prefer you in front of the camera</h2>
<p>Point of view (POV) in photography is a question of who it is people “see” taking the picture. The simple distinction is that of “person” – of which there are two principle kinds: third person (Warhol taking a picture of Marilyn Monroe, for example) and first person (Warhol’s selfie). In Warhol’s time, most photographs were taken from a third person point of view. But this has changed – our research does not find much enthusiasm for third person pictures in the social media age.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/176216/original/file-20170629-11766-erp1vw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/176216/original/file-20170629-11766-erp1vw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176216/original/file-20170629-11766-erp1vw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176216/original/file-20170629-11766-erp1vw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176216/original/file-20170629-11766-erp1vw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=496&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176216/original/file-20170629-11766-erp1vw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=496&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176216/original/file-20170629-11766-erp1vw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=496&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Warhol’s Marilyn: one of the most famous pop art images of all time.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">faber1893 via Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Point of view contributes richly to how people feel and think as they look at a picture. Just as the point of view can be from someone within or outside of the picture, so people pick up different feelings and thoughts. Warhol plays a greater part in the pictured story of his selfie than in his famous picture of Marilyn Monroe. Just as Warhol is more involved in the story he is telling with his selfie, so are other people statistically more likely to engage with the content of selfies.</p>
<h2>2. People get bored of just you</h2>
<p>Ever since the portrait was first invented, painters and photographers have tended to give priority of importance to person or action. Most people’s selfies are all about themselves – but our research suggests this is a poor strategy for attracting attention, as people are 15.14% more likely to comment on selfies of people doing something meaningful than on “just” selfies. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/176223/original/file-20170629-2697-1m11tvb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/176223/original/file-20170629-2697-1m11tvb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176223/original/file-20170629-2697-1m11tvb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176223/original/file-20170629-2697-1m11tvb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176223/original/file-20170629-2697-1m11tvb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176223/original/file-20170629-2697-1m11tvb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176223/original/file-20170629-2697-1m11tvb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">How to get likes: do something interesting.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Mauricio Graiki via Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Selfie-takers have agency beyond just being the subject of their own pictures: they do things such as eating a bread roll, drinking from a bottle, waving their free hand. Warhol does something else, too – he appears to adjust his tie. Conversely, as Warhol does that, he necessarily reveals who he is: an icon of the golden era of pop art and the ultimate arbiter of celebrity glamour. By his action, other people come to know him better. They can like or dislike, react or respond to his picture. But he has captured their attention.</p>
<h2>3. Realistic pictures put people off</h2>
<p>Warhol’s selfie was designed not to portray or expose truth, but instead to acknowledge the artifice and deception inherent to any form of representation. If the creative leeway between reality and picture was wide in Warhol’s photograph, it is enormous since photography entered social media. This is necessarily the case. Photographers who complain that selfies are poor representations of reality, miss the fact that taking selfies is not representation in anything but the loosest sense. In fact, our research shows that not altering pictures can wind up in failure.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"863069572324356097"}"></div></p>
<p>An adaptation can be serious or silly, amateurish or professional, and so on. Contemporary photographers should deploy the full power of techniques, such as emojis, filters, lenses – and tools such as “selfie sticks” to turn the original into something artful. Those selfies are superior in terms of engagement. We found that people are 11.86% more likely to comment on adapted selfies.</p>
<p>As people become increasingly sophisticated in their choice of pictures, it pays to become more people-centric and to think harder about the value a picture offers the audience rather than just yourself. The result will be a transformed selfie of you doing something – a picture that is worth a thousand words. Warhol <a href="https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Andy_Warhol">wrote</a> in 1968 that, “In the future everyone will be world famous for 15 minutes.” That future is now.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/78050/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Three techniques Andy Warhol used can also help you to take and post pictures that people will find engaging.Tom van Laer, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, City, University of LondonStefania Farace, PhD Candidate in Marketing, Maastricht UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/735812017-04-12T13:04:56Z2017-04-12T13:04:56ZSelfie culture isn’t the root of all evil<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/159362/original/image-20170304-29002-uhh38g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The idea that selfies are somehow damaging our mental health is spreading. There is <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/our-changing-culture/201510/are-mental-health-issues-the-rise">concern</a> that there may be a <a href="http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2014/stress-report.pdf">link</a> between an apparent recent rise in mental health concerns in millennials and taking, editing and posting <a href="http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/health/selfies-can-damage-your-mental-health-expert-warns-the-young-a3461446.html">selfies</a> online.</p>
<p>As a relatively recent phenomenon, most of us are still trying to get our heads around the potential impact of “selfie culture”. So when people aren’t worrying over what selfies say about our psychological well-being, they’re talking about <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-social-media-turning-people-into-narcissists-66573">digital narcissism</a> – particularly when it comes to teenage girls. </p>
<p>We assume that selfies encourage a preoccupation with self image and that this is intensified by editing facilities and filters that allow people to present their best look. The result of this process, <a href="http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/health/selfies-can-damage-your-mental-health-expert-warns-the-young-a3461446.html">some argue</a>, is general unhappiness with our appearance because it makes us focus on what’s bad about how we look – our flaws, our blemishes, our imperfections.</p>
<p>However, the evidence indicates that the link between selfies and well-being is not straightforward. For instance, the results of psychological research exploring the relationship between selfies and self-esteem are mixed. Some studies have found links between selfie posting and <a href="https://theconversation.com/social-media-can-damage-body-image-heres-how-to-counteract-it-65717">lower self-esteem</a>, however others have reported a relationship with <a href="http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/cyber.2009.0411">higher self-esteem</a>. Still other research has found <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0736585315301350">no link at all</a></p>
<p>What these findings do clearly indicate is that selfie posting is a complex activity that can produce different reactions depending on the context of posting and how it is received by the audience. </p>
<h2>What do we know about selfies?</h2>
<p>Taking and posting selfies inevitably draws attention to how we look. While selfie posting is <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886915300039">not age or gender specific</a>, women – and particularly young women – appear in a greater number of photos and are tagged <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563216303806">more frequently</a>. More women also say they <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0193397308001408">untag</a> themselves from pictures because they’re not satisfied with how they look.</p>
<p>But that’s not necessarily a symptom of narcissistic selfie culture. Body dissatisfaction among young women has been an issue for decades. It’s not unrelated to the longstanding pressures on women, who are judged against a slim, young and blemish-free ideal. Psychological research has, for some time, argued that our social norms encourage women to embrace these beauty standards by, for example, pursuing a <a href="http://bit.ly/2oHJCZC">“natural look”</a> through cosmetic enhancement and dieting.</p>
<p>Our social values promote these body ideals and as such women and young girls are encouraged to believe that their bodies are an ongoing betterment project. They are continually under pressure to “improve” their <a href="http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/978-1-137-47765-1_1">appearance</a>. It is against this backdrop that selfies have become an everyday, routine activity. Given these social pressures on women it’s easy to assume that filtered selfies or selfie editing is just about “fixing” what women don’t like about the way they look.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/BHmu9LtBlLj","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<p>That might play a role, but selfies are about much more. They are, ultimately, a social phenomenon and a form of social interaction. Online communities will form around liking posts and other supportive behaviour. The levels of explicit approval that can be achieved online are, for most of us, unparalleled in the offline world.</p>
<p>One <a href="http://kora.kpu.ca/islandora/object/kora:39">study</a> found that while young women do invest in producing a good picture of themselves, looking good wasn’t the sole aim of getting a good selfie. According to this study, young women reported that the images they selected for uploading expressed something authentic or “real” about themselves. This desire is further underscored by the prestige associated with being able to tag a selfie with #nofilter to show that it hasn’t been edited with a filter. The same could be said for the attention given to selfie fails – photos that are seen as too fake.</p>
<p>Posting “good” photos, using filters or other kinds of editing, is not simply about faking a perfect look online. <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563215301424">Researchers</a> have found that people reported using filters to make photos look more like themselves – to correct for distortions produced by photo technologies. That includes apps used by people with dark skin to address the misrepresentation created by photographic technology that was originally designed to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2013/jan/25/racism-colour-photography-exhibition">favour light skin</a>.</p>
<p>Studies have also indicated that young adults generally present a fairly accurate representation of their offline identity on social media. The internet is no longer an anonymous place. Most people in our offline communities are now a part of our online lives so we risk our reputation if we appear as inauthentic or “fake”. </p>
<h2>Our selves at our best?</h2>
<p>It’s fair to say that online life often shows us at our best. Digital technologies allow us to take multiple photos of the same thing, apply the filter we most prefer and select our favourite image for upload. Now, more than ever, users have control over the final posted image. Crucially, they can shape how they will ultimately look and hopefully be seen. But how young adults feel about this is complex.</p>
<p>For the vast majority of users, best pictures are not totally disconnected from offline life. What we also know is that we currently live in a world that places great importance on physical beauty, self-improvement and the pressure to always look our best. This is the world in which selfie culture emerged – selfie culture did not create it.</p>
<p>Most importantly, we do ourselves a disservice if we censure millennials as naïve and unsophisticated by simplifying the complexity of the social worlds in which they go about their everyday lives.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/73581/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Are we really filtering out our ability to cope with our own imperfections?Rose Capdevila, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, The Open UniversityLisa Lazard, Lecturer in Psychology, The Open UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/719532017-01-27T07:33:49Z2017-01-27T07:33:49ZLet action in Holocaust memorials open a discussion, instead of shaming: on the ‘Yolocaust’ selfies project<p>When German Israeli-born satirist Shahak Shapira’s “<a href="https://yolocaust.de/">Yolocaust</a>” project went viral, I asked myself what it meant to <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38675835">juxtapose photographs</a> of people enjoying themselves at the <a href="http://www.stiftung-denkmal.de/en/home.html">Berlin Holocaust Memorial</a> against mountains of dead bodies in concentration camps.</p>
<p>Shapira’s artistic intervention occurred at a specific political moment in Germany. As the country marks International Holocaust Memorial day on January 27, Björn Höcke, a representative of right-nationalist party Alternative for Germany has <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/germany-afd-bjoern-hoecke-berlin-holocaust-memorial-shame-history-positive-nazi-180-turnaround-a7535306.html">criticised the memorial</a>. “Germans are the only people in the world who plant a monument of shame in the heart of the capital,” he said. </p>
<p>“He should see these photos,” <a href="http://www.jetzt.de/shahak-shapira/interview-mit-satiriker-shahak-shapira-ueber-yolocaust">Shapira said</a> in an interview about his project.</p>
<p>For me, the fact that Shapira’s work hit such a nerve is more interesting than the technique and images used, or indeed any message one may glean from the contrast of smiling faces, posing bodies and dead bodies. I do not think that it fights the trivialization of Holocaust memory.</p>
<p>Shapira’s work has been described as a form of public shaming, and to an extent, it worked: people spoke about it in relation to the right and wrong ways to remember the Holocaust. Shapira says on the Yolocaust website that some of the people pictured apologised and asked him to remove the photos, as well as removing themselves from the social networks where he first found them.</p>
<h2>Knowing your place</h2>
<p>In my <a href="http://www.palgrave.com/us/book/9780230363304">book</a> about action at the Berlin memorial (2013), I claim that people engage with the site through a performance of moral transformation. That is, the actions visitors perform at the memorial are not necessarily related to the memory of the Holocaust, but instead to memories of rituals related to Holocaust memory. </p>
<p>Anthropologist Jackie Feldman has suggested in a personal conversation about Yolocaust that the project is an example of ritual failure. Most visitors know they have to perform some kind of transformation at the site: if they are seen failing to transform or celebrate in public, then they have failed to act appropriately. This failure is discussed in ethical terms in the case of the Holocaust Memorial. </p>
<p>This is not a new thing. The memorial has been very popular and contested for the fact that it is abstract and thus facilitating activities not associated with Holocaust memory since it opened in 2005. </p>
<p>In the course of my ethnographic research at the Holocaust Memorial in 2005-6, I often heard staff at the memorial say, “People do not know where they are.” Such a judgement is surely one of the intended results of Yolocaust.</p>
<p>In this way, the project acts as a finger pointed at those who often very well know where they are, and play with the boundaries of right and wrong in relation to the site. They probably would not be compelled to do so at other sites dedicated to the memory of the Holocaust, for example in the underground Information Centre at the Holocaust Memorial because those sites are historical or authentic. </p>
<p>The memorial’s architect <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38675835">Peter Eisenman responded</a> accordingly in reaction to the Yolocaust project in drawing a distinction between the Berlin memorial and burial sites.</p>
<h2>Facilitating discussion?</h2>
<p>Shapira himself claims he wishes to engage people in a <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38675835">discussion of right and wrong</a> in Holocaust memory. Such discussions have been prevalent in Germany as well as in Israel for a while. Of course, as <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14623528.2012.677761">Amos Goldberg writes</a> in a piece on the Jewish Narrative of Yad Vashem, right and wrong within the Israeli narrative of Holocaust memory created identification with Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust and positions Israel as the historical response to the Holocaust. </p>
<p>In saying that it is “a shame that there are people who don’t care,” and in quoting a few Yolocaust project responses who said that he helped facilitate this respect <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2017/01/19/world/europe/ap-eu-germany-holocaust-memorial.html?_r=0">Shapira enacted</a> the Israeli narrative on the Holocaust from an arguably higher moral position of a Jew from the land that Jews went to after the Holocaust. This is a position from which one can shame those who misbehave at the Holocaust memorial, then help them correct their ways and realise their failure.</p>
<p>Germany and Israel are not the only countries that institute a national memory narrative. The <a href="https://www.ushmm.org/">US Holocaust Memorial Museum</a> in Washington DC also poses ethical questions to visitors and demands that, following their museum visit, they ask themselves how they can take action to prevent genocide around the world. The museum thus makes a direct link between learning about the past and civic action in the present and future.</p>
<p>We can ask whether Shapira’s project generates the same movement from memory to action, encouraging those who see it to stand up against the threat of genocide, racism and discrimination.</p>
<h2>Moral transformations</h2>
<p>While we cannot presume that seeing horrifying photos of dead Jews constitutes “Holocaust memory”, it surely is moving. And the moral transformation that visitors are meant to perform while visiting, as I argue in my book, is through emotional engagement, especially the revelation of feelings. </p>
<p>Visitors know they have to “act sad”. After walking in the memorial, German visitors often say, “maybe this is how the Jews felt”. </p>
<p>When memorial workers encountered behaviour that seemed inappropriate, they reacted by saying that people do not know where they are, or how important this project is “for Germans”. It is the moral career of Germans vis-a-vis the memory of the Holocaust that can be positively performed or fail – the transformation as well as its ritual.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2017/01/19/world/europe/ap-eu-germany-holocaust-memorial.html?_r=0">Shapira directed his work at Germans</a>, who are the majority of visitors at the site, among people from many other nationalities that stumble into or intend to visit it: “These people should be the ones to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive”. </p>
<h2>Civic engagement</h2>
<p>I do believe that some forms of civic engagement opened up with the inauguration of this Memorial and others adjacent to it, dedicated to the memory of other victims of Nazi persecution, such as <a href="http://www.stiftung-denkmal.de/en/memorials/memorial-to-the-homosexuals-persecuted-under-the-national-socialist-regime.html#c948">LGBT people</a>, <a href="http://www.stiftung-denkmal.de/en/memorials/sinti-and-roma-memorial.html#c952">Sinti and Roma</a>, and <a href="http://www.stiftung-denkmal.de/en/memorials/memorial-and-information-point-for-the-victims-of-national-socialist-euthanasia-killings.html">people with disabilities</a> </p>
<p>This new “memorial quarter” opens up what I call “spheres of speakability” about Holocaust memory, through which alliances against racism and discrimination and new public spaces for engagement with memory were developed.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/154420/original/image-20170126-30385-1rklan3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/154420/original/image-20170126-30385-1rklan3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/154420/original/image-20170126-30385-1rklan3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/154420/original/image-20170126-30385-1rklan3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/154420/original/image-20170126-30385-1rklan3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/154420/original/image-20170126-30385-1rklan3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/154420/original/image-20170126-30385-1rklan3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Berlin’s Memorial to the Homosexuals Persecuted under the National Socialist Regime.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/kyletaylor/3760633288/in/photolist-6JjefY-6Jkb7h-ri5XLw-6hiKHE-dcqSrg-6JgetM-6JhjMb-6JgKS1-6JkBnW-6JhRb1-6JiyHY-6JkgWW-6JeMqT-6Jmem7-6JiBcf-6Jf1MP-6JdpiV-6JesQ6-6JdQ3a-6JhLgB-6JdiyT-6Jev9c-6JfFfd-6JeioD-6JdTZg-6JiDBy-6Jf5y2-6JeDHp-6JbXPr-6JfF7T-6Jgc5S-6Jgpqa-6JjK9Y-6Jj7R5-6JcZLP-6JiEMd-6JjT4Q-6JcMVR-6Jgkju-6JgfDk-6JiCnd-6Jhe1G-6JjzsU-8QesjY-6Je6mV-6JdUzr-6JgHTi-6JcKfe-6Jg2cb-6Jdsv2">Kyle Taylor</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Much of what actually happens at Holocaust memorials, as Yolocaust exposes, is not worthy of celebration. At the same time, it is not necessarily worthy of public shaming. It leaves unfulfilled the modes of engagement that could be possible with the memory of the Holocaust and action against racism and discrimination in the present.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/71953/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Irit Dekel has received funding from the DAAD and the Fritz Thyssen Stiftung. </span></em></p>What’s the proper way to behave at a Holocaust memorial? Is that even the right question?Irit Dekel, Lecturer, University of VirginiaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/717172017-01-25T14:38:15Z2017-01-25T14:38:15ZHow selfies and family photos put 300 million years of evolution on display<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/153819/original/image-20170123-8057-1x1jcrw.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">All primates have opposable thumbs -- and some flaunt these in the cutest way. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Courtesy of Lory Park Zoo</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>These days, many of us have cellphone picture galleries full of selfies, family photos and snaps of our friends. If you’ve ever visited a zoo, animal sanctuary or game reserve, you probably also have photographs of yourself or your kids with various mammals or primates. You may not realise it, but all of those pictures aren’t just happy memories: they’re compelling evidence of evolution in action.</p>
<p>A recent visit to the Lory Park Zoo, a South African animal park, and the resulting photographs offered visual evidence of what I have been <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-fossils-reveal-about-the-hairy-history-of-mammals-ancestors-61449">researching</a> for years: the muscles that bring your smile to life; <a href="https://theconversation.com/you-can-thank-our-pre-mammalian-ancestors-for-your-sexy-teeth-65663">your teeth</a>; your nose; even your thumb – each of these features shows how we’ve reached this point through hundreds of millions of years. </p>
<h2>Smile, you’re on camera!</h2>
<p>Humans can smile because of our muscular cheeks. We developed this feature because we chew our food: cheek muscles hold the food in the mouth cavity during chewing.</p>
<p>Much like the hair you carefully rearrange before a selfie, your cheek muscles and the accompanying smile date back about 250 million years. There were no people then; not even mammals. It was a time before dinosaurs, when earth was ruled by our pre-mammalian ancestors, the therapsids. </p>
<p>They were the first to evolve cheeks, as evidenced by the muscular scars found on their fossils in South Africa’s Karoo region today. </p>
<p>Other non-mammalian animals like crocodiles, tortoises, iguanas and flamingos can’t smile precisely because they don’t have cheeks. They can’t even chew, since without the relevant facial and cheek muscles, the food would just dribble out of their mouths. </p>
<p>If you smile with your mouth open, your teeth will be visible in a selfie or family portrait. All of those teeth are very different from each other, from the pointy canine to your spatulated incisors and those large post canine teeth at the back of the mouth that we call molars.</p>
<p>Those choppers are another legacy of our pre-mammalian ancestors. They evolved an enlarged canine to <a href="https://theconversation.com/you-can-thank-our-pre-mammalian-ancestors-for-your-sexy-teeth-65663">seduce their mates</a> some 300 million years ago.</p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/153820/original/image-20170123-8057-6okagu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/153820/original/image-20170123-8057-6okagu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/153820/original/image-20170123-8057-6okagu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/153820/original/image-20170123-8057-6okagu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/153820/original/image-20170123-8057-6okagu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/153820/original/image-20170123-8057-6okagu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/153820/original/image-20170123-8057-6okagu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">These two primates – that’s a lemur sitting on the author’s shoulder – have a lot in common. Photograph courtesy of Lory Park Zoo.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Did you nose?</h2>
<p>So what else about our evolutionary history is clear in photographs? Well, one element is as obvious as the nose on your face. </p>
<p>Human noses are pretty unique in the animal kingdom: they’re dry. We don’t have the black, moist nose that for example dogs and cats have. Our nose is made of regular, dry skin. The same is true for monkeys, apes and a strange tiny primate with huge eyes called the <a href="https://a-z-animals.com/animals/tarsier/">Tarsier</a>. In fact, humans and the Tarsier have a common ancestor that lived around 50-60 million years ago – a fact that’s proved by our dry noses.</p>
<p>Another evolutionary signpost is the thumb. If you’ve got kids, nieces, nephews or godchildren, you probably have at least one photograph of a small person sucking their thumb. This action is not unique to human babies – all primates have an opposable thumb, and thumb-sucking has likely been usual among baby primates since they first appeared some 70 million years ago.</p>
<p>Next time you set up a family portrait or fuss with your hair before snapping a selfie, just think: you’re about to reveal the story of evolution. It’s literally written all over your face.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/71717/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Julien Benoit receives funding from PAST and its Scatterlings projects; the National Research Foundation of South Africa; and the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Palaeosciences (CoE in Palaeosciences). </span></em></p>Much like the hair you carefully rearrange before a selfie, your cheek muscles and the accompanying smile date back about 250 million years.Julien Benoit, Postdoc in Vertebrate Palaeontology, University of the WitwatersrandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.