It sure looks like the selfie trend is not vanishing anytime soon.
Just to jog your memory: the word was officially added to the 2014 updated Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary; pop-country songstress Taylor Swift proclaims it as the new autograph; and despite the fact that #SELFIE was heavily panned by critics, it sparked off over 180 million views on YouTube and made American DJ duo The Chainsmokers a household name.
Over and above that, let’s not forget Ellen DeGeneres’ famous Oscar selfie where US President Barack Obama jokingly calls it a pretty cheap stunt after he finds out it broke his Twitter record.
Automattic, the company behind WordPress, is jumping on the selfie bandwagon. It recently launched a new Android app, Selfies which is specially tailored for photo buffs.
Also read: Apple hops onto the selfie phenomenon, adds selfie section to app store
“You can react to other people’s selfies with your own images or captions, which often leads to a fun back and forth that turns selfies into mini stories.”
— Selfies
Like Instagram, Selfies is packed with a number of filters and allows users to do captions, basic rotations and flips (think: Snapchat or Slingshot). One main aspect that sets Selfies apart from other photo-sharing apps is that it’s straightforward. With this new app, users don’t need to go through the hassles of signing up, connecting with Facebook, Twitter, or other social media. It requires only seconds of setting up for the first time. According to Tech Crunch, Former Automattic CEO Toni Schneider worked on Selfies with a team of six and the app was in development for eight weeks. If it does well on Android, it will be made available for iPhone and iPad.
The app has so far met with generally favourable reviews. One user praised that it’s the “perfect way to kill a little time without getting completely sucked out of the real world,” while others applauded it for its simplicity. The most noteworthy review is perhaps by this one user who complains that there are way too many guys on here. Hands down, it definitely raises a few eyebrows.
Personally, I’ve never understood the selfie trend. I find the hype around it way overblown. I am, however, a huge fan of Automattic’s work. So it goes without saying that I’ll be keeping an eye out for the app. Almost everyone I know is posting selfies on Instagram and they seem contented with it. Would they give this new app a try? Only time will tell.
Selfies is in its infancy, so it’s bound to have some glitches. If you’d like to share your two cents, give the team a shoutout and they’ll see what they can do!
Also read: Has Instagramming Food Gone Too Far? #Dinnercam is Here!
