The Selfie Phenomenon and Its Role in the Life of the Modern Teenager

Objective. The stude presents a study aimed at clarifying the psychological meaning of the selfie phenomenon, the role of selfie in the life of modern teenagers. Materials and methods. The study involved 22 people, 13 girls and 9 boys, among them 17 high school students, aged 14—17, and 5 university students, aged 18—21. Interviews were conducted with the participants, and a discussion was organized regarding the issues of use and attitudes towards selfies. Processing of interview and discussion materials was carried out with the help of thematic and content analysis. Results. Various views on the psychological nature of the selfie, the reasons for its popularity among young people are considered. The author’s interpretation of the phenomenon of selfie in the context of the theory of «transitional object» by D.W. Winnicott and A. Langley’s existential analysis is presented. The paper shows that selfie is a new means of knowing oneself, building a true image of oneself through a virtual image of the body in the space between the image of the Self and reality.

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