[ratel]

The OP and apparently the book following Goffman make a huge leap in stating that selfies somehow give insight in a persons back stage behavior as opposed to front stage behavior. There is no reason given why a conscious act of performance completely controlled by the subject itself is now somehow an insight into back stage.

I would say taking a selfie is a form of front stage behavior, albeit a more egalitarian one.

On the other hand I am someone who thought a selfie-stick was a tool for punishment for people taking selfies at inappropriate moments.

[munificent]

> I would say taking a selfie is a form of front stage behavior, albeit a more egalitarian one.

I think this hinges on whether the person taking the photo is aware of the people around them at that point in time. If they really aren't thinking about them at all, it's essentially "authentic" back-stage behavior. If you don't realize someone is looking in your bathroom window while taking a shower, you probably can't be honestly claimed to be making a social performance in there.

If they are deliberately considering the people around them when taking the photo is part of the audience for their act, then, yes, it's clearly front-stage behavior.

In practice, it is probably some shade of gray between these two extremes. The line between front stage and back stage is always somewhat blurry.

[ratel]

Sorry, there seems to be a disconnect here. Yes the difference between back stage and front stage is a gray-scale. However that was not my point: Making selfies is an act of front stage, not because there might be other people around, but by the mere fact you are making a photo of yourself with the purpose of it being seen by others. The performance is that what we see on the photo, not the conditions it is made under.

The conditions it is under might make it into more of a front stage, but given that the selfie itself is front stage the fact that you are not hiding making it is very hard to see as "authentic" back stage behavior.

People might use selfies to practice (back stage behavior), but you will normally never see those and what they do present is obviously fit for front stage.

Yes you might walk into someone practicing with selfies, or accidentally see some practice selfies, but that in itself does not provide better or more reliable information than any other incidental back stage information like seeing someone in the shower.

Now if your point was that selfies invite us to perform too much and practice too little than we are in agreement.

[jjgreen]

"Thrash him soundly with the selfie-stick", would that it were true ...