For those who have no time to read about the topic or for those who take selfies but  don't know its history, then this blog is for you. The most popular word used nowadays, as declared by The 2013 Oxford Dictionary's  "Word of the Year" and the "Top 10 buzzword" of Time Magazine is the subject of my blog this month. It is a fascinating word widely uttered by almost everyone who uses the camera, tablet, and cell phone to post on social media. How did this word originate? Who took the first selfies? Why do people post selfies?

Well, "selfie" according to The Oxford Dictionary is a self-portrait photograph typically taken with a hand-held camera or camera-phone often shared on social media. People do this when they want to bolster their ego, tell the world about themselves, remind friends of their looks, get social support, derive intimacy from friends, have fun, and strengthen relationship with friends.

People have different reasons for taking selfies

"A daily selfie is like announcing to the world to please pay attention to you because obviously your spouse is not". - By a Someecard user

"Thank you so much for posting a selfie every single day. I really think I'd forget what you look like if I wasn't reminded every 24 hours." - By a Someecard user

My friends have their own reasons for posting their selfie pictures"

"I have nothing to do. " "I want to show others how beautiful I am." "I want people to envy me." "Just for fun." "..for no reason. I just like doing it.""...because everybody does it." " I want affirmation from friends how gorgeous I am." "I want them to think how amazing I am."

In my opinion it is a sign of ego-tripping, a projection of ourselves needing recognition. That's why we repeatedly show our face to friends? This trend reflects our focus towards self-centeredness.

The first known selfie was taken by Robert Cornelius in 1839. Grand Duchess Anastacia Nikolaevna, one of the first teenagers to take her own picture using a mirror to send to a friend in 1914. The earliest usage of the word can be traced far back as 2002. It first appeared in an Australian internet forum on 13 September 2012.

The first sensational selfie was from President Barack Obama's presidential election in 2012. But the record breaking and the most sensational selfie ever that went viral was that of Ellen DeGeneres, an American TV host during the 2014 Oscars.

I know someone who posts selfies on Facebook all the time. I wonder what he gets from doing this? One time, I went out with a friend and upon reaching a mall, she got out her tablet and asked me to take her picture from one area to another.

Even inside the mall, the same thing was done. I was like an obedient dog taking her shots and making her happy. Every time I took a shot and she would look at the photos, she would laugh out loud. As a friend, I supported her because what are friends for?

Watching people take selfies is interesting. Watch your friends or other people doing this. They are oblivious to what's happening around them or who sees them. They are so engrossed in their own little world not caring what others may say. After all, when they send the photos to social media, thousands of friends will view it.

Nowadays, the most popular selfies are the weirdest, the most unconventional, the most unique and the most extra-ordinary.

Maybe you take selfies too. Do you like them? Do you care about what negative things people say?

As someone's Facebook friend, I like and post comments on selfies. The majority of my comments are positive because I am an encouraging friend. I want to make my Facebook friends happy.

Next time when you see your students, friends, and acquaintances, take pictures of them. Selfies don't do anyone any harm. They are an outlet for individuals to invite reaction from friends who are miles and miles away, reactions which they may not get in real life.

Oops. Excuse me. Somebody needs a shot for Facebook. I'll get back to you next month. Until then.