Cell phones and social media have transformed our lives. These technologies have enabled us to communicate with each other in ways that just weren’t possible before their invention. One form of communication, or self-expression depending on how it’s used, is the selfie – the act of taking a picture of oneself with a cell phone or webcam and posting it to social media. It’s an act that has taken the world by storm, which is probably why there’s now a holiday to celebrate it called National Selfie Day, celebrated annually since 2014 on June 21st. So why not grab your cell phone, snap a picture of yourself, and post it on the internet on this glorious holiday? After all, millions of people all over the world are probably doing that very act anyway – holiday or not.

The History of the Selfie

While people have been taking pictures of themselves for quite some time, most experts agree that the selfie first evolved into its modern version when people started taking pictures of themselves to post on MySpace between 2003 and 2005. However, it was a drunk Australian on Flickr in 2004 who coined the term “selfie” to describe the act of taking a picture of oneself and posting it to social media.

Then, as the years passed and cell phone technology, as well as the technologies of various social media outlets, improved, selfies themselves began to improve. As they improved, they increased in popularity. In 2013, the selfie hit the mainstream when the Oxford Dictionary added the term “selfie.”

The History of National Selfie Day

The first time National Selfie Day was celebrated was on June 21, 2014. It was started by DJ Rick McNeely as a way to encourage people to enjoy taking selfies of themselves and to do it in a creative way. Not long after he invented it, the holiday took off.

Celebrating National Selfie Day

If you want to celebrate National Selfie Day, all you have to do is take a selfie of yourself and post it to social media using the hashtag #NationalSelfieDay. Just be sure to take a good pic and not to go overboard with the “selfie stick.