Why do people look at themselves in selfies and not at the camera?

[ShirleyPhallus]

Disclaimer: I could remove myself from social media, this is none of my business, who cares, get a life OP, I bet you’re not a peach IRL etc etc etc. Yes I know, but here is my Thursday evening musing:

I see quite often otherwise nice pics of people whereby they’re looking at themselves in the photo and not in to the camera. Don’t people look at the photo and then think “oh, I’m not actually looking at the camera” here. Do you notice this? Do you do this?! Why???

Its not keeping me up at night but is a minor irritation

Irritates me too! Also people who slouch to look in the camera - makes my neck ache just looking at them

I feel like looking in the camera is a bit intimate .. like staring at the viewer .. puts me off

Because you have to look at yourself to make sure you are actually in the frame of the photo?

Also I think its in human nature to look at eyes even if its our own eyes.

One thing I never understand is when you see a photo of somebody holding their phone in selfie mode - meaning that they must have got somebody else to take a photo of them taking (or pretending to take) a selfie?!

Cause they don't know exactly where the camera is located. If you've turned the camera and you're trying to take it quickly you often forget where to look.

But you can look, check you’re in the frame; then flick your eyes to the camera to take the shot?

Ha ha this can’t be real, people don’t change phones regularly enough to forget where the camera is surely? On an iPhone there is only one place it can be, at the top!

Because they don't know how to take a pic by having the camera coming from the screen rather than the back of the phone

So this is a thing that influencers do, the lighting is often optimal for either face or body so they’ll often take a photo with a phone in front of their face to make it look like a selfie or do it in the mirror so they don’t need to set up making the face look amazing too

ShirleyPhallus definitely happens if you're taking a group selfie. Lost count of the number of times someone's asked where to look

Yes I agree with you on that, but I mean specifically individual selfies where people don’t look at themselves. I just can’t see that people look at it and think it’s perfect enough to be posted on SM but not realise they’re looking down!

I don’t know but I love your opening paragraph.

I genuinely can’t seem to tell where my camera is

I always think I’ve got it, then look at the camera and I’ve not. There’s a circle for the front flash and a circle for the camera and I always look in the wrong one. Plus even when I get it right my arms don’t stretch far enough that my eyes focus properly on the camera, I always look cross eyed.

That’s usually because they’re taking it in the mirror. It’s so they can show their whole body, so if you wanted to take a selfie of yourself to show your entire outfit it’s the only way to do it unless you have arms the length of Mr Tickle’s 😁

I always look a bit manic/crazy in selfies if I look right at the lens.

Ones where I'm looking at the screen generally seem better?

Ooh, I never thought about the mirror thing. Do none of them have BFFs who could take it for them, though?!

I find it way easier to look at the "take picture" button as I press it. I try not to buy it's a big struggle and half the pictures I end up taking while trying to look at the camera are rubbish.

Yeah and usually if you're looking at the camera then your eyes aren't actually centred. It looks weird

This! If I look at my camera my eyes are up and my face lifts up. If I look at me I'm looking straight ahead. It actually looks more like I am looking at the camera if I don't look at it.