I SELFIE THEREFORE I EXIST: A PRELIMINARY QUALITATIVE RESEARCH ON SELFIE AS PART OF IDENTITY FORMATION IN ADOLESCENTS

I SELFIE THEREFORE I EXIST: A PRELIMINARY QUALITATIVE RESEARCH ON SELFIE AS PART OF IDENTITY FORMATION IN ADOLESCENTS Gita Widya Laksmini Soerjoatmodjo Department of Psychology, Pembangunan Jaya University, Tangerang Selatan, Indonesia Jl. Cendrawasih, Kel. Sawah Baru, Kec. Ciputat Tangerang Selatan, Banten, Indonesia gita.soerjoatmodjo@upj.ac.id and gita.soerjoatmodjo@gmail.com ABSTRACT Selfie is a self-generated, self-selected picture to communicate the transitory message about oneself at a particular moment in time taken to be immediately distributed to others via social media networks. For adolescents, selfie becomes an online tool to explore and discover their identity throughout identity formation phase. Article aimed to address its purpose of describing the reasons why adolescents took selfies, what selfie mean to them and the meaning of others' responses on their selfies. Through textual analysis conducted upon written answers in a course exercise provided by 40 first semester students aged 18-20 years who participate in Introduction to Communication Technology course in Pembangunan Jaya University. This preliminary qualitative research concludes that they take the selfie as an activity done in their spare time to express themselves and to record memorable moments. For them, selfie means as their means for self-expression and as mementos. Others’ responses to their selfies gave them the affective feeling of approval. As these findings resonate with identity formation in adolescence, the theoretical implication is the need to continue exploring selfie as a means for the search of the identity. The practical implication of these findings is to use selfie and its future consequences with adolescence, including the issues of online safety and privacy. Keywords: selfie, adolescents, social media, identity formation, self-disclosure. INTRODUCTION Selfie is a self-generated and self-selected documentation to communicate the transitory message about oneself at a particular moment in time, typically taken with the use of smartphones and webcams for the purpose of immediate distribution to others via social media networks (Rutledge, 2013b). According to Pew Research Center, as quoted by BBC News Magazine (2013), 91% of photos posted by teenagers in America are selfies – an increase compared to 79% in 2006. The same finding also reveals that a search on Instagram, a photo sharing online application, retrieves over 23 million photos uploaded with the hashtag #selfie and around 51 million with the hashtag #me. Routledge (2013a) has highlighted that according to Selfies Style contest launched by Fashion Conglomerate Westfield, six out of every ten women use their mobile devices to take self-portraits, most of which end up on Facebook as their social media network. Such prominent findings lead to the selection of Oxford Dictionaries to name ‘selfie’ as the word of the year in 2013. Quoting this decision, Brumfield (2013) has mentioned that in justifying their choices, Oxford Dictionaries editors reveal that the frequency of the word selfie in the English language has significantly increased by 17,000% since 2012, hence, it is worthy of such title. According to Routledge (2013a), publisher of Oxford Dictionaries believes that the world ‘selfie’ first appeared in an Australian chat room on September 13, 2002. Self-portraits tagged as #selfie began to appear on the photo-sharing site of Flickr and MySpace back in 2004. The same finding also shows that the first definition of a ‘selfie’ gained entry on Urban Dictionary.com by 2005 (albeit spelled ‘selfy’), before finally making it to the authoritative Oxford I Selfie Therefore I Exist ….. (Gita Widya Laksmini Soerjoatmodjo) 139 Dictionary in 2013 as a noun as well as a verb. According to Fausing (2013), the emphasis of the selfie is not on creating a permanent projection of ‘who we are’, this is best represented by an official, carefully crafted, self-portraiture. Selfie is more about the informal and free representation of ‘what is going on’. Routledge (2013b) has explained how ‘ie’ at the end of this word makes selfie a diminutive, which generally implies affection and familiarity, hence associating it with the sense of immediacy and impermanence. In the same year of 2013, Indonesia’s President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, joined Twitter to comment on issues including diplomatic-related ones and published his selfie in mid-December (Bastian & Soloway, 2013). During the same period of time, US President, Barack Obama, set social network abuzz as he along with British Prime Minister, David Cameron, and Denmark Prime Minister, Helle Thorning Schmidt, were seen holding up a smartphone and posted a selfie during Nelson Mandela’s memorial service (BBC News Magazine, 2013). Also in 2013, the 15th Jakarta Biennale that known as the biggest contemporary art exhibition in Indonesia, involving 18 participating countries and more than 40 artworks by local and international artists, dedicates one of its series of 16 simultaneous exhibitions all over the city under the title of Self Portrait Exhibition. It showcased the work of imagining and interpreting as well as deconstructing and even manipulating a self-portrait concept through various mediums such as illustration, painting, photo, video, graphic design and others (Hamdani, 2013). Although selfie is considered as a recent phenomenon of today’s generation, it has a long history as elaborated by Routledge (2013a). As far back as the Ancient Egypt, people of wealth and power have commissioned self-portraits for the purpose of glorification. The invention of the mirror in the 15th century let the artists paint themselves. The camera in the 1860s launched a new era, and the first selfie is believed to have been taken by the end of 1880s as the first shutter with self-timer was available at that time. Sharing pictures have started earlier, as the 1860s saw huge popularity for the sharing of cartes de visite – little photocards. Photo booths, which dates back as far as the 1880s, also pushes this trend much as it does today. The first Polaroid was sold in 1948 and in the 1970s, it also became the instant camera that encourages people to take more intimate photos. Nowadays, the contemporary culture views selfie even further. Selfie views as a quiet resistance to the barrage of perfect images bombarded by popular magazines, televisions, and web pages (Gervais, 2013). Selfie allows the audience to see images of real people with beautiful diversity and although flawless images still pervade western media, the impact of the imperfect images that make their ways onto social media should not be overlooked. Bearing these evidence in mind, one could conclude, as Molloy (2013) does, that the year 2013 will always be remembered as the year of the selfie. Affirming the above-mentioned trend of the selfie, some social scientists lump selfie as prevalent among today’s adolescents (Sifferlin, 2013). During this particular stage of development, adolescents go through a period where experimenting and developing their sense of self is part of emancipating in a healthy way from their nuclear family. Schultz and Schultz (2005) have elaborated how adolescence is known by many as a turbulent and stressful period: with elements of conflict with parents characterized a forceful resistance to adult authority; mood disruption characterized by a volatile emotional life, mood swings, and episodes of depression, and risky behaviors characterized by reckless, rule-breaking and antisocial behavior that may harm themselves and others. Throughout this period of angst, one develops his or her sense of identity. What is identity? Identity is a conceptual structure composed of postulates, assumptions, and constructs relevant to the self, interacting in the world (Moshman, 2011). In reference to Erik Erikson’s psychosocial theory of personality development, Moshman (2011) has elaborated how adolescence is marked with the centrality of identity formation. A challenging process, even under the best circumstances, because this process determines who one is and what one decides to become in the future, by experimenting with different roles and ideologies in order to determine the most compatible fit. A process model of identity formation in adolescents highlights two key processes, they are the 140 HUMANIORA Vol. 7 No. 2 April 2016: 139-148 exploration of alternatives and commitment to choices. Exploration is a process of gathering information and testing hypothesis about oneself, one’s roles and one’s relationship, whereas consideration of multiple possibilities and consequences leads to choices that represent self-conscious long-term commitment. It is only when the adolescents can select some and discard others of these childhood identifications in accordance with his/her interests, talents and values that identity formation occurs. Hence, identity formation involves a synthesis of these earlier identifications into a new configuration based on, but different from the sum of its individual parts. During identity formation, Moshman (2011) has highlighted that peer group plays strong impacts in the development of identity of an adolescent. The process of identity formation depends on the interplay of what young persons at the end of childhood have come to mean to themselves and what they now appear to mean to their peers who become significant to them. According to Schultz and Schultz (2005), those who emerge from identity formation stage in adaptive ways will develop a strong sense of self-identity, equipped to face adulthood with certainty and confidence. On the other hand, those who did not do that will experience role confusion, not knowing who or what they are, where they belong or where they want to go. It should be taken into consideration that one’s identity formation remains a never-ending process throughout his/her lifetime (Kroger, 2004). The conception of identity, social and cultural contexts, as well as conscious interpretation and adaptation choices, play key roles in personality development that continues throughout the life span. Routledge (2013b) has argued that selfie for adolescence is a period when identity formation and emancipation are key development tasks, and it is meaningful for exploration and identity experimentation. It is because, according to Routledge (2013a), selfie facilitates exploration of self and identity. One of the most effective ways to know ourselves is to see ourselves as others view us and selfies offer the opportunity to do so. Selfie shows facets of ourselves such as the artsy side, the silly side, or the glamorous side. Quoting a clinical psychologist and research fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles, Dr. Andrea Latemendi, adolescents try to form their identity and selfie serves as a way to test how they look and, therefore, feel – in certain outfits, make-ups, poses and places (USA Today, 2013). Day (2013) explains how making selfies is like writing experience in a visual diary, so the adolescents can look back and see how they look like at a particular time. In other words, selfie allows adolescents to carry out their exploration of identity in digital forms. According to Routledge (2013c), by offering different aspects of self through images to be shared with others, we are sharing more of ourselves as we become more authentic and transparent, the digital connectivity encourages. By uploading selfies via social media networks, one is able to disclose his or herself to others. This is known as self-disclosure or the process of revealing personal information about oneself to another (Chelune, 1987). It involves negotiating an appropriate balance between the helpfulness of sharing a part of ourselves with another and the inappropriateness, even danger of overdoing it or perhaps sharing too much too soon. A successful, useful or even meaningful self-disclosure means it should be carried out at the right time, in the right situation and to the right people (Argyle & Graham, 1999). The right people, according to adolescents, are their peers. For adolescence, sharing their selfies is a call for peer reaction, the one key element in identity formation stage. When a selfie is shared through social media networks, one can expect its peers to respond to it. Peer response, for adolescents, is important. When people like their selfie by giving ‘likes’ or positive commentaries, this can bring an adolescent a boost in confidence (USA Today, 2013). This resonates with looking-glassself theory which highlights the element of imagined judgment from others (Cooley, 2011). Looking glass self, an archaic English term of a mirror is used to describe how a person looks at his/her reflection as a metaphor for understanding the development of social self (Shaffer, 2005). In doing so, they imagine others see them like an image reflected back in a mirror. They then imagine what others think of them or how others evaluate their performance. Then, they experience an affective reaction, if the evaluation is positive and then the affect is also positive (such as pride and joy), yet if it is negative, then they experience negative affect (such as shame or embarrassment). During the phase of I Selfie Therefore I Exist ….. (Gita Widya Laksmini Soerjoatmodjo) 141 adolescence, this contributes to one’s identity formation. Hence, living in the digital world enables adolescents to use selfie as an online tool for participating and affiliating with others, which in return, opens the door to feedbacks, which are keys to their identity formation. By accumulation such personal information over time, our understanding develops from the synthesis of all the things we know. Hence, selfie becomes an affirmation of existence. Quoting thinker Rene Descartes, cogito ergo sum or “I think therefore I exist,” for adolescents, it becomes “I ‘selfie’ therefore, I exist.” With this background, this research aims to investigate on selfie because of its prevalence in the contemporary world which is saturated by social media networks and also due to the notion that selfie plays a role in one of the most important challenges during adolescence stage of identity formation. Since selfie itself is a recent phenomenon, previous works are still limited. Van House, Davis, Ames, & Viswanathan (2005) in their study on camera phones as part of human factors in computing systems, have used surveys to graduate students to find out that pictures captured by phone are used for the purpose of creating and maintaining social relationships, constructing personal and group memory, self-expression, self-presentation, and other functional purposes such as note-taking. In his case study, Chung (2009) has delved into adolescence by using autobiographical portraits and examining visual, imagery data. It leads to the conclusion that pictures about themselves serve as the artistic representation that shows not only their physical characteristics but also their personality, knowledge, history and lived experience. Attempting to further develop this relatively new body of knowledge, this writing aims to address its purpose of describing why adolescents take selfies, what selfie means to them, and the meaning of other's responses on their selfies that drawing the links to theories of self-disclosure, looking glass self, and adolescents' identity formation. To do so, this preliminary research takes a qualitative approach best suited for such inquiries. The purposes of this writing are two-fold. On the practical level, findings would be useful as talking points on how adolescence uses social media network to further discussion about selfie and its consequences, including the issues of online safety and privacy. On the other hand, the theoretical implication from this writing is to describe how selfie can be used a means for instigating how adolescence pursues their identity formation stage in this digital age. METHODS With selfie defined operationally is a self-generated, self-selected documentation to communicate transitory message about oneself at a particular moment in time taken with the use of smartphones and/or webcams, for the purpose of immediate distribution to others via social media networks, research question of this writing are why adolescents take selfies, what selfie means to them, and what others responses on their selfie mean to them. The period of adolescence itself is operationally defined as 18-20 years old (Papalia, Old, & Feldman, 2008). This qualifies this writing to be categorized as a qualitative research as it is designed as a means for exploring and understanding the meaning individuals or groups ascribe to a social or human problem (Creswell, 2009). One way of doing qualitative research is through personal documents, such as any written record created by subjects in writing on personal opinions and lived experience (Berg, 2009). It is because writings can reflect the subjective views and perceptions of their creators and offer intimate information and insights on how subjects perceived the world around them. Considering selfie is indeed a visual diary, the use of written personal accounts would be most appropriate since it enables an intimate level of openness. It then allows this writing to fall under nonreactive or un-obtrusive research, which according to Neuman (2011), the process of interpretation is done without disrupting the people. This preliminary query chooses subjects from Pembangunan Jaya University, the first semester students that aged 18-20 years old, who participate in Introduction to Information and 142 HUMANIORA Vol. 7 No. 2 April 2016: 139-148 Communnication Tecchnology couurse, taught by a team of o lecturers from Departtment of Infformation System and a Departm ment of Visual Communiication Desig gn. This partticular course is chosen due d to its learning objective thhat matches with the ressearch purpo ose as well as a its particippants; a typiical firstsemesterr student would fall undeer the categoory of adolesscence. The selection of subjects is as a follow. For extraa points in thhis course, subjects s voluunteers to do o a course exxercise usingg Google Do ocs online form to be b filled at thhe comfort of o their own time and spaace. This forrm begins wiith the purpo ose of the regarding reesearch ethiccs of confideentiality and anonymity. Subjects research as well as information i mental manipulations or interventions i s due to the voluntary naature of this exercise. receivedd no experim After filling out infoormation reggarding their names, age,, gender andd social mediia networks they use, subjects are requesteed to pick a selfie s of theirr own and then elaborate why they taake these selffies, what those sellfies mean too them as weell as the meeaning of thee responses from fr others ttoward their uploaded selfies. Until U the couurse ends, thhis proceduree leads to a pool p of 40 sttudents out oof a total of 154 who participaates in the coourse. A After 40 ressponses are collected c andd automaticaally compileed into a Google spreadssheet, the tool usedd to examinee written texxt is textual analysis. a In accordance a w steps inn Neuman (2 with 2011), the process of revealinng the conteent such ass meanings is done byy the system matical orgaanization, nd relationshhips amongsst specific details d by integration, and exaamination too search for patterns an connectiing particulaar data to cooncepts, advvancing geneeralizations and a identifyying broad th hemes or trends. This T is done through the process of selective s cod ding by scannning all dataa, carefully lo ooking at text andd converting it in a veryy systematic manner into o measures of o significannt words, sy ymbols or messagees as well as a identifyinng selectivelly for casess that illustrrate themes. Reliability of such approachh, according to Berg (20009), dependds on accuraccy, which is attempted bby continuou us checks and rechhecks for datta accuracy with the hellp of lecturers of this coourse. Regardding validity y, as also suggesteed by Berg (2009), the data were analyzed with w the helpp of lecturerrs of Deparrtment of Psycholoogy as peer reviewers. r R RESULTS AND DISCUSSION NS B Based on thee data gatherred, below arre the finding gs of this ressearch, basedd on details regarding r subjects and their responses. Chaaracteristics of subjects sampled s in thhis research are as follow w. Figure 1 shows the majorityy of the reseaarch subjects are 18 yearss old studentss. AGE 5% 17 years old o % 25% 22% 48% 18 years old o 19 years old o 20 years old o Figure 1 Agge of the Reseaarch Subjects B Besides that,, genders of the subjects of this reseaarch can be seen s in Figurre 2. Out of a total 40 subjects,, the majorityy of them aree female studdents. I Selfie Therefore Th I Exi xist ….. (Gita Widya Laksm mini Soerjoatm tmodjo) 143 G GENDER R 38% Female 62% Male F Figure 2 Gendder of the Ressearch Subjectts F the purppose of uploaading their selfie, they arre using the following soocial media channels. For c It is to be b noted thaat students are allowed to t mention more m than onne channel iin their answ wers. The finding shows s that Facebook is thhe most favoorite social media m they chhoose. It can be seen in Figure 3. SOC CIAL MEEDIA 26 21 1 17 13 4 Figure 3 Social Mediaa Network The followinng answers are T a chosen ass they highlig ght the predoominant them me emerging from the findings. Regarding the themes emerging e froom the answeers are proviided by the pparticipating subjects, i an activity y done in their spare timee, the selfie is i done to there aree three main themes captuured; selfie is express themselves, t and selfie seerves to recoord memorab ble moments.. The first thheme identified is that adolesceents use selfie as an activvity done in their t spare tiime as a wayy to kill timee as it is regaarded as a leisure tiime activity for adolesceence. Below are three saample answerrs which besst illustrate th he theme identified: “I happen to have h plenty off leisure time so s I snap one or two selfiess.”(female, 188 years old) “Oh, well, I just j did it becaause I had notthing else to do. d “(male, 177 years old) “I was bored. So why not taake pictures of myself?”(male, 17 years old) o The above-m T mentioned answers a refleect how ado olescence usee selfies in their leisuree time. It reflects the centraliity of theirr own persoonal being in adolesceence, which resonates with the mes the emphhasis of who o they are. Soo in spite of sspending theeir time to understaanding that iddentity becom commit on productivvity as such, they dedicate their leisu ure time for taking t picturres of themseelves and putting themselves into the cennter. It refleects how th he exploratioon of identiity, taking shapes s in capturingg facets of them, is froont and centter during th his age grouup, which reesonate with h identity formatioon of adolesccents. 144 HUMANIORA RA Vol. 7 No. 2 April 2016:: 139-148 The second theme identified from the findings is that subjects use selfie as a means to express themselves. Below are three sample answers that resonates the notion of self-expression: “To say that this is me and I am pretty awesome, that’s why I do selfie.”(male, 17 years old) “To express myself because I feel good at that time.”(female, 20 years old) “Selfie is about self-expression to me.” (female, 19 years old) The above-mentioned answers are in line with the importance of self-expression for adolescence in expressing themselves becomes part of their identity formation. An exclamation of one’s identity as someone ‘awesome’ is an instance on how this student forms his identity and explains to others who he/she is. To express his/her emotion of feeling good is also a way of expressing herself, as she is disclosing private information about his/her inner being to others. Lastly, the reason why adolescent subjects take selfies is that they would like to record memorable moments. Answers that best illustrate such theme are as follow: “I like to remember how I looked like months or even years ago,selfie allows me to flashback through time.” (female, 20 years old) “I did it for fun, to capture a moment when I wear a nice makeup and outfit.” (female, 19 years old) “I want to share with my friends how I change overtime.” (male, 19 years old) The above-mentioned reasons resonate concerns to record memorable moments and how it intertwines with identity formation as part of adolescent’s developmental task. This is apparent from the use of word ‘change’ in the answer provided. Reasons offered by these students also look at identity as a construction comprising of special moments such as wearing ‘a nice make up and outfit’. Through their journey, these students share their milestones with their peers or friends and another facet of identity formation in the phase of adolescence. This resonates with the looking glass-self perspective that highlights the importance of the evaluation of others to the development of self. Exploration of alternatives occurs through various alterations they choose over a period of time, or as exemplified in the answer, ‘months or even years ago.’ Regarding the second research questions, the following answers are provided by the students regarding what selfie means to them: “Selfie represents who I am as reflected from the style or pose I choose.” (female, 17 years old) “Selfie allows me to create my own story about myself.” (female, 19 years old) “For me, selfie is self-actualization, it is how I become the whole me.” (male, 19 years old) “In reality, I am rather shy and quite awkward when I have to talk to others. My selfie becomes my means to communicate to others who I am. It feels like I can say to my friends, “Hey, this is me.””(female, 19 years old) The answer above showcases that selfie is used to construct, reconstruct, and perhaps also deconstruct their own identity and it is symbolized by ‘style or poses’ to create ‘my own story’ as part of ‘self-actualization’ so they can become ‘whole”. This represents that one of the meanings of the selfie is self-expression. It represents how identity formation is a continuous project for these adolescents. Among these responses, one answer stands out as the subject offers insight on how selfie serves as a means to be who she aspires to be more articulate, sociable and expressive. In a sense, selfie becomes the ideal self she strives to be. These answers again reflect the notion of identity formation as well as their exploration and experimentation. It should be noted that these answers also resonate with self-disclosure perspective. Selfie allows these adolescents to reveal their personal emotion to others. It enables one subject to say to her friends ‘this is me’ reflects how she uses selfie I Selfie Therefore I Exist ….. (Gita Widya Laksmini Soerjoatmodjo) 145 to disclose her feeling to her peers. Selfie, in this case, also means as a memento or something to remember by. The last research question delves into how adolescents derive meaning from the response of others toward their selfie as it is uploaded to their social media network. The following are answered chosen as affective response from peer response, highlighting the link with the looking-glass-self theory. These answers emphasize how peer response from their closed knit network brings out affective notion on the subjects. “I feel that I, well, exist...” (female, 18 years old) “I feel good because I feel that my friends pay attention to me, have interests on me and say good things to me.” (female, 18 years old) “I am happy when my friends like my selfie. I am also okay if they don’t like it. Everybody is entitled to his or her opinion.” (male, 18 years old) “If any of my friends give me negative comments, I immediately delete my selfie.” (male, 17 years old) The answers reverberate the looking-glass-self point of view, particularly on the notion that an individual experiences an affective reaction to the imagined evaluation of the other, and these affects are related to the imagined evaluation of others. If the others’ evaluation of the actor is positive, the affect is positive, but if the others’ evaluation is negative, the affect is negative. These ideas are reflected in the answers on how good they feel upon receiving positive commentary. A student’s response that he deletes his selfie also affirms the looking-glass-self emphasis on the roles of others in the development of self. One answer stands out regarding affective reaction upon receiving peer response. One 18-years-old female student mentioned how responses from her peers toward her selfie make her feel that she exists. This again is in line with what looking-glass-self offers toward understanding the development of self – that the very core existence, in this case, lays on the fingers of her friends. CONCLUSIONS Through textual analysis of the responses provided by 40 students in age 18-20 years old, it can be concluded that they take the selfie as an activity done in their spare time to express themselves and to record memorable moments. For them, selfie means as their means for self-expression and as mementos. Others’ responses to their selfies give them an affective feeling of approval. These are all couched on the notion of identity formation and how it develops in their period of adolescence with links to self-disclosure and looking glass-self perspectives. Since this is a preliminary research, this will continue to be developed further. One way to do so is to include the interview with selected individuals to capture more elaborative answers on how they do selfies and share them through social media network. Another way to develop this research further is to take the quantitative approach and use the findings to build a survey in order to capture a larger pool of subject. Going beyond a case study scope and extend the subjects to the wider audience is also another research development to be pursued. This writing suggests for follow-up in-depth exploration on selfie in adolescence as well as other age groups. It is because selfie is not restricted to adolescence only. It would be interesting to find out how the issue of identity, as reflected in taking pictures of us, revolves in a different age group. Comparative analysis between adult selfie-takers as well as adolescences is also interesting to ponder. All in all, the development of information communication technology, particularly social media, has pushed the boundaries of investigation on the issue of self and identity. The future opens up more and more doors to be opened as the venue to 146 HUMANIORA Vol. 7 No. 2 April 2016: 139-148 articulate our identity, to exercise self-disclosure, to engage with others as reflected in looking-glass perspective and to construct and re-construct ourselves over and over again. REFERENCES Argyle, M., Furnham, A., & Graham, J. A. (1999). Social Situations. New York: The Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge. Bastian, A. Q., & Soloway, B. (2013, 30 December). The Year in Indonesian Social Media. Retrieved February 11th 2014 from http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/tech/the-year-in-indonesian-socialmedia/. BBC News Magazine. (2013, 7 June). Self-portraits and Social Media: The Rise and The ‘Selfie”. Retrieved November 23rd 2013 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22511650. Berg, B. L. (2009). Qualitative Research Methods for the Social Sciences. 7th edition. Boston: Pearson Education. Brumfield, B. (2013, 20 November). Selfie Named Word of the Year for 2013. Retrieved November 23rd 2013 from http://edition.cnn.com/2013/11/19/living/selfie-word-of-the-year/. Chelune, G. J. (1987). The Neuropsychological Perspective of Interpersonal Communication. In Derlega, V. J. & Berg, J. H. (Eds), Self-Disclosure: Theory, Research, and Therapy. New York: Plenum Press. Chung, S. K. (2009). Autobiographical Portraits of Four Female Adolescents: Implication for Teaching Critical Visual Culture. International Journal of Education and the Arts, 10(11). Cooley, C. H. (2011). Looking-Glass Self. In O’Brien, J. (ed), The Production of Reality: Essays and Readings on Social Interaction. California: Pine Forge Press. Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. 3rd edition. London: Sage. Day, E. (2013, 14 July). How Selfies Became a Global Phenomenon. Retrieved November 23rd 2013 from http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/jul/14/how-selfies-became-a-globalphenomenon. Fausing, B. (2013). Become An Image: On Selfie, Visuality and The Visual Turn in Social Media. Conference Paper University of Copenhagen. Retrieved February 12th 2014 from http://forskningsbasen.deff.dk/Share.external?sp=S3eee0571-513a-46d7-a8979fde4662a7af&sp=Sku. Gervais, S. (2013, 22 January). Does Instagram Promote Positive Body Image? In Power and Prejudice. Retrieved February 11st 2014 from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/powerand-prejudice/201301/does-instagram-promote-positive-body-image&strip=1. Hamdani, S. (2013, 15 November). Jakarta Street Art Comes Alive. Retrieved February 11th 2014 from http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/features/jakarta-street-art-comes-alive/. I Selfie Therefore I Exist ….. (Gita Widya Laksmini Soerjoatmodjo) 147 Kroger, J. (2004). Identity in Adolescence: The Balance between Self and Other. East Sussex: Routledge. Molloy, A. (2013, 24 December). Year of the Selfie: The Birth – and Death – of the 2013’s Biggest Star Trend. Retrieved February 11th 2014 from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/year-of-the-selfie-the-birth--and-death--ofthe-years-biggest-star-trend-9024534.html. Moshman, D. (2011) Adolescent Rationality and Development: Cognition, Morality, and Identity. New York: Psychology Press. Neuman, W. L. (2011). Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. 7th edition. University of Wisconsin, Whitewater. Papalia, D. E., Old, S. W., & Feldman, R. D. (2008). Human Development. 9th edition. New York: McGraw-Hill. Rutledge, P. (2013a, 18 April). #Selfies: Narcissism or Self-Exploration?’ in Positively Media. Retrieved November 23rd 2013 from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/positivelymedia/201304/selfies-narcissism-or-self-exploration. Rutledge, P. (2013b, 6 July). Making Sense of Selfies in Positively Media. Retrieved November 23rd 2013 from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/positively-media/201307/making-senseselfies. Rutledge, P. (2013c, July 8). Selfie Use: Abuse or Balance?” in Positively Media. Retrieved November 23rd 2013 from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/positivelymedia/201307/selfie-use-abuse-or-Balance. Schultz, D. P. & Schultz, S. E. (2005). Theories of Personality. California: Wadsworth. Shaffer, L. S. (2005). From Mirror Self-Recognition to the Looking-Glass Self: Exploring the Justification Hypothesis. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 61, 47-65. Sifferlin, A. (2013, 6 September). Why Selfies Matterdalam Social Media. Retrieved November 23rd 2013 from http://healthland.time.com/2013/09/06/why-selfies-matter/. USA Today. (2013, 25 June). What Did Narcissus Say to Instagram? Selfie Time! In Tech. Retrieved November 23rd 2013 from http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/06/25/what-didnarcissus-say-to-instagram-selfie-time/2456261/. Van House, N., Davis, M., Ames, M., & Viswanathan, V. (2005). The Uses of Personal Networked Digital Imaging: An Empirical Study of Cameraphone Photos and Sharing.Human Factors in Computing Systems, 1853 - 1856. 148 HUMANIORA Vol. 7 No. 2 April 2016: 139-148