Close Reading Understanding

Selfie

Explain how the context of paragraph one helps you to understand the meaning of ‘narcissism’. (2)

Explain how the context of paragraph one helps you to understand the meaning of ‘narcissism’. (2)

1. Give the meaning of the word.2. Explain how the context ( other words and

phrases helped) you to arrive at that meaning.

3. Even if you understand the meaning, you must comment on its relationship to the context.

Meaning and context

What greater testament could there be to the "me generation" than the rise and rise of the selfie? Anointed by Oxford Dictionaries' editors as the word of the year after a 17,000% increase in its usage, the selfie is surely the ultimate emblem of the age of narcissism. Like the doomed figure of ancient myth, we cannot stop gazing at our own reflection. This July, there were an estimated 90m photos on Instagram – the go-to platform for the selfie – with the hashtag #me. And that figure will be far, far higher now.

What greater testament could there be to the "me generation" than the rise and rise of the selfie? Anointed by Oxford Dictionaries' editors as the word of the year after a 17,000% increase in its usage, the selfie is surely the ultimate emblem of the age of narcissism. Like the doomed figure of ancient myth, we cannot stop gazing at our own reflection. This July, there were an estimated 90m photos on Instagram – the go-to platform for the selfie – with the hashtag #me. And that figure will be far, far higher now.

Narcissism means self-obsession.

The references to the ‘me generation’ and ‘gazing at our own reflection’ suggests that the selfie, described as an ‘emblem of narcissism’ is associated with an unhealthy fixation with self.

From paragraph one, explain how two details evidence the popularity of the selfie. (2)

From paragraph one, explain how two details evidence the popularity of the selfie. (2)

Highlight relevant details in passage. Put into your own words.

What greater testament could there be to the "me generation" than the rise and rise of the selfie? Anointed by Oxford Dictionaries' editors as the word of the year after a 17,000% increase in its usage, the selfie is surely the ultimate emblem of the age of narcissism. Like the doomed figure of ancient myth, we cannot stop gazing at our own reflection. This July, there were an estimated 90m photos on Instagram – the go-to platform for the selfie – with the hashtag #me. And that figure will be far, far higher now.

Popularity of the selfie has been recognised officially by Oxford Dictionaries.

Exponential increase in its popular use. Social media outlet most closely associated

with selfies had almost 100m photos posted in one month.

Any two from

Read paragraphs two and three. Explain in detail what the writer dislikes about selfies? (2)

Read paragraphs two and three. Explain in detail what the writer dislikes about selfies? (2)

At first glance, everything about this phenomenon reeks. It is self-centred in the most literal sense. Not for nothing is the word just a breath – a mere "sh" – away from selfish.

What's more, it's selfishness of the most superficial kind. It's not just about me, me, me but how I look, look, look. It invites judgment based on appearance alone. You post a picture of yourself and wait for the verdict, your self-worth boosted by a happy spate of "likes", or destroyed by the opposite – a resounding silence. At least on Twitter, people are judgmental about each other's wit or ideas, rather than their hair.

It encourages a particularly shallow type of self-obsession. People post pictures to encourage others to leave comments about them. Also, they are not seeking positive feedback on anything they say or do, but on how they look.

Explain how the first sentence of paragraph three performs a linking function. (2)

Explain how the first sentence of paragraph three performs a linking function. (2)

Identify in the linking sentence two words or phrases, one pointing back and one pointing forward.

Link the backward pointing one with the relevant part of the previous paragraph.

Link the forward one with the relevant parts of the following paragraph.

You must have followed all four of these steps to be awarded two marks.

How to answer:

What's more, it's selfishness of the most superficial kind.

What's more, it's selfishness of the most superficial kind.

‘selfishness’ links back to the narcissistic nature of selfies. ‘Most superficial kind’ links forward to the shallow obsession with image that selfies encourage.

Explain how the reference to Tumblr illustrates the point the writer is making in paragraph four. (2)

Explain how the reference to Tumblr illustrates the point the writer is making in paragraph four. (2)

To understand the sheer scale – the depth, if you like – of this superficiality, look no further than this Tumblr dedicated to selfies at funerals, including the image captioned: "Love my hair today. Hate why I'm dressed up #funeral".

The writer discusses a blog that is made up of selfies taken at funerals: people seem equally concerned, if not more so, with their appearance than marking the passing of a life. This illustrates how widespread selfies and the associated shallow self-obsession are.

6. Explain how the first sentence of paragraph five performs a linking function. (2)

6. Explain how the first sentence of paragraph five performs a linking function. (2)

Identify in the linking sentence two words or phrases, one pointing back and one pointing forward.

Link the backward pointing one with the relevant part of the previous paragraph.

Link the forward one with the relevant parts of the following paragraph.

You must have followed all four of these steps to be awarded two marks.

How to answer:

And yet condemnation cannot be the only response to a phenomenon this widespread, which clearly delights so many tens of millions.

And yet condemnation cannot be the only response to a phenomenon this widespread, which clearly delights so many tens of millions.

‘Condemnation’ refers back to the writer’s many criticisms of selfies. ‘Clearly delights so many’ links forward to the new focus on the positive aspects of selfies.

7. In paragraphs 5-7, what reasons are offered in support of the selfie?

7. In paragraphs 5-7, what reasons are offered in support of the selfie?

And yet condemnation cannot be the only response to a phenomenon this widespread, which clearly delights so many tens of millions. The informality of the word "selfie" suggests something true about these instant self-portraits: that they don't take themselves or their subjects too seriously. To quote the artist Gillian Wearing: "The word 'selfie' is brilliant. It really encapsulates a time: instant, quick, funny. It sounds ironic and throwaway."

It is also true that, while the technology may be new, the instinct it satisfies is not: since the dawn of civilisation, humans have yearned to depict themselves and their faces – whether through cave paint, clay or, today, the megapixels of a smartphone.

Above all, and this might be the selfie's redeeming feature, they are not designed to be looked at solely by the subject. The selfie's usual purpose is to be transmitted by social media – with "social" being the key word. They may be focused on the self, but they also express a timeless human need to connect with others.

And yet condemnation cannot be the only response to a phenomenon this widespread, which clearly delights so many tens of millions. The informality of the word "selfie" suggests something true about these instant self-portraits: that they don't take themselves or their subjects too seriously. To quote the artist Gillian Wearing: "The word 'selfie' is brilliant. It really encapsulates a time: instant, quick, funny. It sounds ironic and throwaway."

It is also true that, while the technology may be new, the instinct it satisfies is not: since the dawn of civilisation, humans have yearned to depict themselves and their faces – whether through cave paint, clay or, today, the megapixels of a smartphone.

Above all, and this might be the selfie's redeeming feature, they are not designed to be looked at solely by the subject. The selfie's usual purpose is to be transmitted by social media – with "social" being the key word. They may be focused on the self, but they also express a timeless human need to connect with others.

They bring delight to an extremely large number of people.

In being light-hearted they capture the zeitgeist.

The desire to portray ourselves is not new; only the technology used to do so has changed.

Despite their apparent narcissism, they help to connect people. They are designed to be shared.

8. To what extent is the final paragraph an effective conclusion the ideas of the passage?

8. To what extent is the final paragraph an effective conclusion the ideas of the passage?

In that respect, the selfie is like so much else in the digital world – all about "me," but revealing a sometimes desperate urge to find an "us".

In that respect, the selfie is like so much else in the digital world – all about "me," but revealing a sometimes desperate urge to find an "us".

This is an effective conclusion because it return’s to one of the passage’s key ideas: the selfie as very much of its time. It is a product of the social media generation that reveals the often superficial and selfish nature of popular culture. The writer also returns to the narcissistic nature of selfies- another key idea earlier in the passage. Finally, he alludes to the often overlooked social aspect of selfies: the desire for connections to be made.