The subject of this master's thesis is the relationship between selfies and photographic self-portraits in the digital age, namely in relation to the (dis)continuity and the similarities and differences that exist between them. Additionally, it also includes an analysis of the dichotomy between affirmative and negative discourses surrounding the selfie phenomenon. My theses are as follows: equating selfies and self-portraits as signifiers and concepts is flawed; the selfie has a certain potential that should not be overlooked; the wide variety of different stances toward the selfie is a telling demonstration of the world we live in. With the use of several established approaches from the field of cultural studies, I conclude that the selfie is both more and less than a photographic self-portrait, that the phenomenon should be studied in a markedly interdisciplinary manner, that it can be understood as a ruthless tool for wielding power or a strikingly emancipatory thing, depending on one's point of view, and that, instead of trying to comprehensively grasp the reasons for the dichotomy between affirmative and negative stances toward the selfie, it is more pertinent to recognise it as a symptom of our zeitgeist, society and culture.
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