Selfie audiobook cover - How We Became So Self-Obsessed and What It’s Doing to Us

Selfie

How We Became So Self-Obsessed and What It’s Doing to Us

Will Storr

★ 4.1 / 5(36 ratings)
Start ListeningDownloadQR code that opens AudiobookHub on the App StoreTry free on iPhoneScan to start in 5 seconds
Categories:
Society & Culture

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

Listen to Selfie — Free Audiobook

Loading player...

Key Takeaways from Selfie

Learning Tools

Reinforce what you learned from Selfie

Mind Map

Selfie
Cultural Construction of the Self+
The Psychology of Status and Mimicry+
19th-Century Origins of Self-Improvement+
The Self-Esteem Delusion+
Neoliberalism and the Selfie Economy+
Online Shaming and the Perfection Trap+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 7
According to the text, how does culture influence human beings beyond shaping their physical body ideals?
  • A. It dictates our genetic predispositions to certain physical diseases.
  • B. It determines the way we process information and think about the world.
  • C. It eliminates our natural evolutionary instincts for survival.
  • D. It prevents us from feeling negative emotions like shame or guilt.
Question 2 of 7
What is the 'Paris Hilton effect' as described in the book?
  • A. The psychological tendency to purchase items endorsed by wealthy celebrities.
  • B. The phenomenon where individuals only mimic the behavior of those in their immediate social circle.
  • C. A snowball effect where media attention generates more attention simply because others are paying attention.
  • D. The habit of using social media to project a lifestyle that is wealthier than reality.
Question 3 of 7
How did the technological and scientific progress of the nineteenth century change the Western concept of the 'self'?
  • A. It shifted people's sense of self from being determined by the physical environment to being shaped by economic self-determination.
  • B. It caused people to abandon the idea of individual self-improvement in favor of collective labor movements.
  • C. It rooted the ideal self in the physical perfection of ancient Greek mythology rather than intellectual capability.
  • D. It made people feel more helplessly dependent on nature due to the unpredictability of early industrial technology.
Question 4 of 7
What did the 1980s academic research commissioned by Californian politicians actually reveal about high self-esteem?
  • A. It was the primary cure for social ills like crime and drug abuse.
  • B. It had virtually no evidence of being a social good, linking only to better educational outcomes.
  • C. It was directly responsible for the reduction of teenage pregnancy in Western countries.
  • D. It proved that children who receive unconditional praise become highly empathetic citizens.
Question 5 of 7
According to the text, what does the modern obsession with taking selfies fundamentally represent?
  • A. A harmless way for young people to document their daily lives and build community.
  • B. A return to the artistic self-portraiture traditions of the nineteenth century.
  • C. An expression of collective solidarity in an increasingly isolated internet culture.
  • D. An individualistic effort to build a personal brand and compete in a neoliberal society.
Question 6 of 7
Why do supposedly respectable media outlets often participate in and amplify online public shaming?
  • A. They are legally obligated to report on viral social media trends.
  • B. They aim to educate the youth about the real-world consequences of making mistakes.
  • C. Moral outrage drives clicks, which in turn generates lucrative online advertising revenue.
  • D. They are attempting to police internet culture to make it a safer space for vulnerable users.
Question 7 of 7
Which of the following best summarizes the overarching argument of 'Selfie'?
  • A. Human behavior is entirely dictated by free will, independent of historical or societal influences.
  • B. The modern ideal of the self is a product of cultural, economic, and technological forces rather than purely individual choices.
  • C. Social media platforms should be heavily regulated to prevent the rise of narcissistic personality disorders.
  • D. The concept of self-improvement is a recent invention created by Silicon Valley tech pioneers.

Selfie — Full Chapter Overview

Selfie Summary & Overview

Selfie (2017) takes a hard look at today’s internet-driven age of self-obsession. Asking where our ideal of the perfect person came from, acclaimed British journalist Will Storr traces the history of the self from ancient Greece to the social-media-heavy world of selfies and Instagram brunch pics. Along the way, he picks out a multitude of fascinating facts about the political, cultural and economic factors that have shaped the Western world’s notion of who we should be and what we should look like.

Who Should Listen to Selfie?

  • Fans and foes of social media
  • Anyone who’s wondered where our culture’s heading
  • History and politics buffs

About the Author: Will Storr

Will Storr is an award-winning writer, journalist and photographer. The recipient of the prestigious National Press Club award, his previous books include The Heretics and The Hunger and Howling of Killian Lone. He has also written for the Guardian and Times Magazine.

🎧
Listen in the AppOffline playback & background play
Get App