Love them or hate them, selfies are here to stay. According to a recent study by Suite 48 Analytics, the mobile photography phenomena seems deeply embedded in the daily practices of the average North American. 84% of the 1,021 North American smartphone photographers surveyed said that they have taken at least one selfie in the last month. And it’s not just Americans. A similar study on the French population shows that selfies represent 50% of the pictures taken on mobile phones.
While selfies have the same presence across age groups, it is probably not a surprise that the younger they are , the more frequently they take self-portraits. Under 25-year-old take an average of one selfie every two days, while, as they get older, or more used to their faces maybe, the rate drops by more than 50%. Interestingly enough, the results are not the same for the french population, where selfie activity is largely the activity of under 18 years old ( responsible for 76% of the selfie production in that country).
How people take selfies is also revealing. While the extreme majority predictably used their mobile phones, 9% used their DSLR while another 1% used a drone. Selfie sticks, surprisingly, do not seem to be a widely used accessory, probably because it implies preparation over spontaneity.
Suite 48 analytics Selfies – A Maturing Use Case study includes much more along with the following topics:
Taking selfies
- How many people are taking selfie?
- Which devices do they use? (smartphones, smartphones on selfie-sticks, action cams, drones, digital cameras)
- How many selfies do they take with each device?
Reasons for taking selfies
- When or why are people taking selfies?
- What do they do with them?
- How has their selfie taking behavior changed over time?
- Through which platforms do they share their selfies?
- Why do they not take selfies?
Enhancing selfies
- How often do people enhance selfies before sharing them?
- How do they enhance their selfies?
- How have their selfie enhancement practices changed over time?
Taking video selfies
- How many people are taking video selfies?
- Which devices do they use?
Click here to visit get the full Suite48A report
Photo by Infomastern
Author: Paul Melcher
Paul Melcher is a highly influential and visionary leader in visual tech, with 20+ years of experience in licensing, tech innovation, and entrepreneurship. He is the Managing Director of MelcherSystem and has held executive roles at Corbis, Stipple, and more. Melcher received a Digital Media Licensing Association Award and is a board member of Plus Coalition, Clippn, and Anthology, and has been named among the “100 most influential individuals in American photography”