Photography is functional to selfie

 In my opinion, as far as the selfie theme is concerned, it is necessary to refer to the origin of the forms of representation to arrive at the current scenario. 

The desire to represent oneself has existed for as long as there has been painting, with self-portraits. 

With the birth of photography, it was easier to access the representation of oneself and the documentation / recording of one's personal experience as a testimony over time. 

With the advent of the digital age, photography and its global distribution have been made easily accessible to all. From a means of representation (which has a communication component), photography has become a pure means of mass communication, as well as text, voice and other forms of graphics and has been enriched with further communicative components. 

For this reason I do not believe that today's selfie can be compared to the photographic self-portraits of yesterday, even if the drives and psychological components that underlie the representation of oneself are, in many cases, common. 

Those who represent themselves always want to provide a "construction of themselves" and not a mere registration. 

As for selfies, the psychological component is even more invasive: a study by the University of Buffalo states that those who base their self-esteem on the opinion of others are more inclined to publish selfies. Self-esteem is therefore supported by appearances and sharing, and some psychologists say that those who behave in this way could have issues to compete in the social sphere. 

In this context, photography has a secondary role, more functional role in promoting oneself, while all the tools for modifying and improving one's self-image assume greater importance.

Photography, in the context of the selfie, is not a point of arrival but a starting point to reach a social, not an artistic goal.