Whether we like it or not, image is terribly important to us. We often define ourselves via the appraisals and opinions of others. For many of us, this is how we develop a sense of self—through the discerning eyes of others. It is as critical to our existence as oxygen. Without the social context that our self-image is embedded in, we would live in a vacuum with no requisite to have an identity at all. There would be little reason to try and distinguish ourselves from others, or to be competitive or simply to even bother “looking good.” So then our self-image is not only important but an intrinsic part of being human. There’s no escaping it.

Accordingly, that is perhaps why the concept of self-expression via the much-maligned "velfie," (video journal or diary) and the selfie, is highly scrutinized by experts. By the way, “velfie”—a portmanteau of “video” and “selfie.”

Maybe it’s just a consequence of the digital era and purely a kind of “identity declaration” whose practice is so intermingled into our culture as a way to relate socially, that not participating could be worse—well, probably not, but nonetheless, we cannot deny that it has become a necessity to keep pace with the new age of social communication. Whether it’s a velfie or a traditional selfie post on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube, the self-expression-centric generation is here to stay.

One of the many reasons why the selfie is so trendy is because it provides the luxury of depicting ourselves in the way that we desire. Technology gives us the control to shape and manipulate who we are and perhaps mask our flaws and imagined shortcomings in a way that we could not offline. It’s an opportunity for us to showcase ourselves to the world with little or no repercussions. So, when the “likes” and affirming responses to our carefully selected digital expressions come in large numbers in a given day, the satisfaction of that kind of global validation is immeasurable. The seductive ego-boost is hard to pass up. It’s like an intoxicating drug.

More recently, via the velfie, anyone can vocally showcase their ardent opinions about anything, from political and world affairs to the latest gossip. There is also no shortage of lifestyle videos regarding beauty, fashion, travel, fitness, health and wellness........

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