The Selfie Stick: The Most Loved And Hated Gadget Of 2015

The selfie stick has become the most popular gadget of 2015. It has also become the most controversial gadget, according to BuzzFeed. The selfie stick has been slammed by many critics, who claim that we have become a selfie-obsessed culture. However, the selfie stick offers some advantages for tourists, extreme sports athletes and large groups of people.

The pop culture website put together a 150-email thread debate about the selfie stick. Some readers remarked that the popular news site has too much time on their hands. In the thread, users shared their thoughts, on both sides of the debate, about their love or hatred for the selfie stick.

An anonymous reader is obviously very concerned about the future of today’s children.

“Selfie sticks make me sad. It seems like another thing tipping the scales toward formalizing and commercializing our status as weird friendless units who are more concerned with constructing a false reality than actually cultivating a real life. Maybe I’m being pedantic, but like, GET A FRIEND to take your picture? Build a real relationship or something. Stop being a self-contained self-perpetuating narcissism juggernaut.”

One reader sees selfies as the new portraits. This reader also had a valid reason about why people should get over their hatred for the selfie stick.

“I believe most young people see selfies as a form of discourse rather than any kind of permanent record or self portrait. Each generation is increasingly less aware, or cares less, about the fact that uploading something to the internet is a form of publishing. In that context the two main reasons for using them seem to be a) not bothering passers by at tourist attractions and b) getting more people in your photo. The selfie stick is essentially a grand altruistic gesture. It should be applauded.”

The selfie stick is typically a monopod that can hold a smartphone and allows the user to get a better angle for self-portraits, according to the Taipei Times. This device has become a hot topic at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, where dozens of manufacturers and distributors feature the latest gadgets and technology trends.

For as low as $5, the selfie stick also stole the spotlight as the cheapest gadget. This convention typically features pricey television sets and luxury vehicles.

Katie Kunsman, spokesperson for the New Jersey-based manufacturer and wholesaler Motion Systems, said that the selfie stick has been growing in popularity. Kunsman says that this gadget has been popular with fans of extreme sports like rock climbing.

“They’re flying off the shelves, they are one of our hottest items. If you go rock climbing you can get a picture from a good angle hanging off a cliff.”

The selfie stick is also great for taking shots of Waikiki beaches. According to KITV 4, beach-goers have snapped several shots of the island’s beautiful beaches. Some of them praised about the selfie stick’s hands-free capabilities.

“It’s expandable so you can get more length and higher views and you also don’t have to try to get the shot with your finger. You have a button so you just point and shoot.”

Still, some feel that the selfie stick is making our culture become more self-obsessed. HPU Professor Dr. John Hart elaborated on the subject.

“Fifty years ago you had to be the head of RCA to document yourself, today we document what we wear, what we look like, what we eat.”

It’s not known how the origins of the selfie stick started. Some have said that it began in Asia, while others say that it started out in the extreme sports community with similar devices made for the GoPro camera. According to a report on the Inquisitr, a man named Wayne Fromm tried to patent the selfie stick 10 years ago. No matter where it came from, it seems like the selfie stick is here to stay — at least in 2015.

“We can point out things that people did 20 years ago that were silly and are now gone we can also point out some silly things that are now part of everyday life. Which one the selfie stick is, we’ll have to wait to see.”

[Image by R4vi on Flickr via Creative Commons]