Museums take a stand against the selfie stick, banned and vilified
Why does the selfie stick provoke such fear and loathing?
When it comes to controversial new technologies, they can often be difficult to explain.
But not the selfie stick.
It may be a cutting edge smart phone accessory. But it's really, just a stick.
It's a telescopic pole, used to hold one's smart phone out, at an extra arm's length -- to help snap a selfie.... or a photo of one's self, perhaps with some friends, and perhaps with some great museum artwork in the background.
But as Anna Maria Tremonti found out earlier this year, the selfie stick is both exalted and vilified.
In March of this year, Anna Maria's discussion on the selfie stick looked at the rage that the selfie sticks stir.
Our guests:
- Andrew Keen is the author of "Digital Vertigo and The Internet Is Not The Answer." He was in Aldeburgh, England.
- Rae Votta writes with the online news site The Daily Dot. We reached her in Atlanta.
The selfie crackdown has only continued worldwide since then.
Infact, earlier this month, the Russian government launched a new campaign it calls "Safe-Selfies." Authorites there are concerned by the number of people who have died while taking selfies in dangerous situations -- The new guidelines admonish selfie-seekers to avoid standing on railroad tracks, climbing on roofs, or posing with guns.... or tigers... no matter how great the resulting selfie would be.
Do you have a selfie stick? Does it really help you take better photos? Or do you think our obsession with selfies is the beginning of the end of civilization? Lets us know... and show us your work.
Tweet us @thecurrentcbc, post on our Facebook page, or send us an email.
This segment was produced by The Current's Shannon Higgins and Marc Apollonio.
RELATED LINKS
♦ In defense of the selfie stick - Rae Votta, The Daily Dot
♦ What our selfie sticks say about us - The Globe & Mail
♦ Selfie stick culture wars heat up with bans - Toronto Star
♦ Should museums ban selfie-sticks? - Will Gompertz, BBC