Selfie Regrets? Eff 'Em.

Photo editing site PicMonkey had Harris Poll conduct an online survey of 2,051 adults, yielding some surprising results: 

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  • 47% of those polled admitted to taking a selfie
  • From the 18-34 age group, 40% admit to taking selfies at least once per week, and 10% take them at least once per day (I'd easily fall in that category)
  • 14% of adults 65 years and older admit to snapping the occasional selfie
  • 17% of those polled in the South admit that more than 10% of their selfies are X-rated images (#sexyselfie), compared to only 7%, 8% and 9% in the Northeast, Midwest and West, respectively.

Perhaps unsurprising to some (but shocking to me) is this tidbit about selfie regret:

...Eighty percent of adults who have taken a selfie have shared it publicly, but more than a quarter (26%) of those who have publicly shared one admitted they regretted doing so after the fact. Interestingly, nearly a third (31%) of men regret sharing their selfie, compared to 21 percent of women. Those in the Northeast and Midwest (both 80 percent) are more likely to cop an "all snap and no regret" attitude compared to the South (68 percent), which is perhaps not surprising given Southerners' stated penchant for not safe for work (NSFW) selfies.

And here's where I get a bit miffed. We've been conditioned to overshare our most basic and mundane thoughts and feelings on social media since the days of Friendster, but throw a selfie into the mix and suddenly we are supposed to feel regret or guilt? Not buying it. The selfie is the next logical progression, following wall posts, status updates, likes and shares. 

On my site thousandselfies.com, I share plenty of pics that don't show me in the most flattering light, or that make me out to be some ridiculously vain narcissist. But I did that for a reason: I'm choosing, in sharing all my selfies from years past, to share ups and downs, as well as vainglorious highs and insecure lows in my life. And I'm doing so because I value the selfie as an art form, as an ongoing visual diary, as a means to share—with anyone who will look—my growth, my missteps, my ridiculousness, my vulnerability. 

So I say thanks for the stats, poll, but #fuckselfieregret.