7 Things You Didn't Know About Selfies

Who doesn’t love a good selfie? A photo where YOU are the person in control of the camera, so if the angle is bad, if you have three chins, if your abs aren’t looking their best – you have no one to blame but yourself. You can take 10, 20... even more photos in the same setting to make sure you get the lighting just right, and that everything looks perfect.

But there are probably a few things you didn’t know about selfies, and we came up with seven of the best.

1. The word "selfie" has become so popular it’s even been added to the dictionary! Dictionary.com has the meaning listed as: "a photograph that one takes of oneself with a digital camera or a front-facing smartphone, tablet, or webcam, especially for posting on a social-networking or photo-sharing website."

2. The first selfie ever taken was Robert Cornelius’ self-portrait in 1839. Robert had set his camera up at the back of the family store in Philadelphia and took the photo by removing the lens cap, then running into frame where he sat for a minute before covering up the lens again.

3. The average age of a person who takes a selfie is 23.7 years. But don’t worry, it doesn’t mean you’re out of place if you are older or younger. We’ve seen it all. Even Toddlers take selfies, 90 year olds take selfies. Everyone who has ever held a phone or camera – guaranteed, these days, they have taken a selfie – even if they shouldn’t. Like some of these top 10 extreme selfies.

4. In 2014, it's estimated there will be around 238 billion selfies taken! If you think about how many people in the world actually have access to a smartphone, that’s a whole lot of selfies per person. Imagine how many there are if you include animals! Like these “seriously cute animal selfies”.

5. In 2013, "selfie" was announced the Word of the Year by Oxford English Dictionary and it was stated to be of Australian origin.

6. The celebrity with the most selfies on their Instagram? Kylie Kristen Jenner. If you’re a bit behind in the times and you’re not sure who that is: Kylie is an American reality television star from Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Still not sure? Check out her Instagram and you will never forget her face!

7. Finally, have you ever wondered what the worst celebrity selfie ever is proclaimed to be? After researching a number of different sites, we came up with one of Kim Kardashian, which she took of herself after trying an anti-aging procedure that injects blood in your face. Yes, really. For some reason she thought it was a good idea to share this with the world. We think some things are better kept secret! While we’re talking about beauty, have you ever wondered if selfies help keep you fit?

As an added bonus, one more thing you really should know about selfies: having a great camera phone is paramount to the best shots. Sprout Accessories stock accessories for all the latest phones cases, including HTC, Apple, Samsung and Sony, among others. So be sure to check out our full product range, including screen protectors, phone cases, and more, through our online store, or from more than 300 retail outlets across Australia.