If you asked me, my off-the-cuff answer to “what percentage of your Facebook feed consists of selfies” would be about half. Same goes for Instagram.
Turns out, that isn’t that ridiculous of a statement. People really do love their selfies, according to a new survey from Pew Research. Well, at least millennials. From Pew:
“Not surprisingly, the generation that has taken to them more than any other are the Millennials (ages 18 to 33), who have grown up with the new digital technologies of the 21st century. They’re the heaviest users of the internet, cell phones and social media sites. And a new Pew Research Center survey finds that 55% of Millennials have posted a “selfie” on a social media site; no other generation is nearly as inclined to do this. Overall, 26% of Americans have shared a “selfie” on a photo-sharing or social networking site.”
Well, holy shit. It’s not that 55% of young people have taken a selfie, it’s that 55% of young people have posted it on a social media site.
If you’re my age, there’s a one in four chance that your mom or dad has posted a selfie online. Soak that in for a sec. And although your Grandma is unlikely to have Instagrammed a selfie, she definitely knows what one is, according to Pew.
In other recent selfie news, apparently the craze is causing some sort of lice epidemic, you know, from all the teens pushing their heads together to get in frame. Of course, that’s all bullshit–unless people are holding their selfie poses for hours.
Image via Ellen Degeneres, Twitter