The Definitive Guide to What We’re Calling a Selfie

Remember when a “selfie” was just a hashtag for solo photos? And heck, even just a song on the radio?

Those days are long gone, and even though the Oxford English Dictionary describes it as a picture “that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website,” the selfie movement has become powerful enough to broaden the meaning of the word. A lot of things can be considered selfies now, so here’s a breakdown of the types of selfies people enjoy posting.

The original selfie

Just a photo of yourself. Kim Kardashian is fond of these!

The engagement ring selfie

Some ladies post their engagement ring photos on Instagram for free, but others will spend thousands of dollars so their fingers and bling will look amazing in a pictures. “Once you see what your hand looks like on your computer or phone, you start to notice things you didn’t think were a problem before,” plastic surgeon Matthew Schulman told the New York Times in an interview about engagement selfies. Here’s what I have to say about that: if someone puts a rock on my finger, I’m not thinking about the veins in my hands, but to each his own!

Actual engagement selfie

I like this one more than the ring picture! At least we actually get to see faces in this one!

The group selfie

In this case, it also happens to be a celebrity group celebrity. What I’d give to squeeze in next to Meryl Streep and J-Law! Awesomeness explosion!

The animal selfie

Whether they show it or not, animals are pretty self-involved creatures, so they dig a good selfie just as much as we do. Too bad they can’t include their own hashtags into posts though!

The photobomb selfie

You may think you’re taking an original selfie featuring only your lovely face, but the selfie fad is so big, everyone knows what it is, and plenty of goofballs out there will try to mess with your photo if the opportunity presents itself.

The no-makeup selfie

Usually taken by really pretty celebrities who look awesome without makeup. Like our own pretty Zooey right here.

The acne selfie

This new kind of selfie, popularized by Lorde and Rookie founder Tavi, involves a self-portrait taken when wearing acne cream.

The creeper selfie

If you’re going to take a bathroom selfie, maybe wait until no one else is in there to whip out the old iPhone!

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