Selfie habits have gone beyond casual pictures for social media

Online self-projections in every possible way, no matter how inauthentic, seem to be the new order

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The Prabhadevi-Dadar sea face is a not so well known seafront in Mumbai. But something has changed in recent years. More people seem to be clicking selfies and making reels even on this unclean seafront, with the Bandra-Worli sealink and Mumbai's famous violet sunsets in winter months making for an excellent background.

And given their long shots, the dirt that the sea throws onto the beach is rarely visible in these photographs and reels.

In fact, such photographers and reelmakers have descended not just on this particular part, but on every site that is even remotely beautiful, making them a huge nuisance at popular tourist spots.

Also, instead of experiencing the beauty of the moment, they are busy taking pictures and making reels from every possible angle. They seem more interested in documentation than being mindful of the experience itself. Once documented, it has to be published on different social media: X, Facebook, Instagram, even LinkedIn.

So, we live in an era where the human mind seems more concerned about how to click a photograph, and think of a good caption before publishing it on social media in search of likes and other forms of external validation, than being in the moment. And this has happened because of the rise of smartphones along with cheap internet access.