#selfie: An Investigation into the Attitudes and Opinions of Girls in 5th and 6th Class on the Selfie

Abstract

Selfies, shared far and wide across various social media platforms, have changed the way in which we communicate. Young people dominate the statistics when it comes to selfie taking, particularly girls. It appears that there has been very limited research conducted in Ireland on the relationship that girls have with the selfie. Therefore, the primary aim of this research is to explore and examine the attitudes and opinions that girls in a 5th and 6th class have on the selfie. The research design used was a qualitative method. Focus groups were conducted with sixteen participants – four in each group. These participants were girls form 5th and 6th class in a DEIS Band 1 primary school in Galway City, Ireland. By employing a qualitative method of gathering data, the experience, challenges, and opportunities of each of the participants was explored. Overall the participants projected various attitudes towards the selfie often even reflecting that of the opinion of the media – that selfies are narcissistic in nature. Given the rapidly expanding role that technology such as selfies and social media play in our society today, the relationship of our young people, particularly girls, must be explored. This study aims to inform all caregivers of the relationship that young girls aged between ten and twelve have with the selfie.