Guns don’t kill people…selfies do

Guns don’t kill people…selfies do

Abstract: This work explores how the Narcissus myth has been inaccurately adopted by media, specifically in the reporting of selfie-related deaths. The Narcissus myth, while about a boy in love with his own image, loved himself so much he would not share his image with others. Given that sharing is an integral part of understanding the contemporary selfie phenomenon, this work seeks to dismantle the narcissism fallacy in media coverage of selfie-related deaths. Through a textual analysis of six newspapers, this paper argues that exhibitionism is a more accurate critique of the selfie, and one that fits more in line with the digital age, as opposed to the analog nature of narcissism.

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