Oy To The Selfie

The Curse of "Me" First 

The selfie.

Is there any phenomenon more annoying and socially troubling that the current trend sweeping humanity?

As more and more people gain access to Iphones, there seems to be a growing belief, that the moment by moment activities of every human being are exceptionally important to the entire world.

The selfie.

The phenomenon where people with outstretched arms obsessively turn their camera phones on themselves, and broadcast the images to those who supposedly care.

"This is my new haircut." "This is me eating sushi." "This is me at a concert." "This is me walking in the woods."

Me me me me me me me.

During the 1950's and 1960's, those who were interested in the world turned to the pages of magazines. We read about others through Life.

But during the 1970's, weekly magazines such as Life and Look retracted. They were replaced by more personal publications such as People, and Us.

With the event of Internet, the trend continued. MySpace, MyOptimum, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and ultimately this troubling obsession with "Me."

There are many blessings associated with social media. We can create a community of friends and followers centered on beliefs, trends, hobbies and interests.

As families and friends continue to re-locate to the far corners of this country and the world, the Internet enables us to remain connected through word and image.

We can find out what's going on at our synagogues, and schools, and even offer our opinions without ever leaving our homes. This is a good thing.

But somehow, during the last year or two, the scales have tipped towards insanity.

This past week, while waiting at the airport for a delayed flight, I observed as person after person turned their cameras on themselves, posing for selfies which moments later were posted on their social media accounts. 

"This is me delayed at the airport." "This is me looking at my watch."

A recent European study examined the phenomenon of the selfie and concluded that the more selfies a person posted, the more likely they were to exhibit signs of severe narcissism and social detachment.

Noted one social commentator, "this obsession with taking pictures of ourselves is not empowering, but rather a cry for help."

This trend, as it interfaces with Judaism, is worthy of study.

We want our children and grandchildren to be happy. We want them to enjoy all of the advantages and blessings of modern society, and that includes access to this fascinating world of technology and social media.

Yet, it is equally important that we consider and guide how these media are used.

Are they leading us towards the Jewish prerogative of Tikun Olam, of repairing the world, of elevating the lives of others, of making our lives holy - or are they leading us into an uncontrolled spiral of self obsession.

This week's Torah reading takes away from the world of "me," and guides us towards our connection with God and humanity.

The Parashah, B'Chukotai (My Laws), makes a simple point.

It teaches that if we observe God's commandments, if we radiate our life force towards others, if we take care of humanity, if we guard the planet, the earth will open and provide all we need to survive.

However, if we turn into ourselves and disregard God's laws, then the earth will withdraw from us.

It is uncanny. We are experiencing just that as our world weathers the ongoing deteriorating of water, air and soil quality, and the real threat of global warming. This closing of the earth, simply stated, is linked to our obsession with materialism, and personal entitlement.

Indeed, there is nothing wrong with taking photos of ourselves, and sharing them with others. But when does it become obsessive?

Often these days in Times Square when I see an individual or family struggling to take a selfie, I offer to take the photo for them. This often leads to a wonderful conversation, and most importantly human interaction.

Judaism's central mission is to help God complete creation. And I believe that our odds are better of building a better world if we do it together, rather than reverting to "me."

It's a lesson our Torah projects this week as it directs us to engage with life, with our fellow human beings, and with God.

The Torah reminds us this week, that one of the greatest threats to Jewish society is "idolatry."

It is worthy of note that the world idolatry, begins with the letter "I."

Our Chasidic masters taught that every person should carry two pieces of paper, one in their right hand pocket and the other in their left.

The first reads, "for my sake the world was created," and the other "I am but dust and ashes."

This week's Torah portion encourages us to consider whether the forces of "self" and "others" are in proper balance.

Our Chasidic masters taught that managing those two extremes is the key to living a successful life.

The teaching reminds us to balance these two poles within our lives, and within the "selfs" that we influence.

Perhaps it's also time to remember, as our tradition teaches, that the entire world does not revolve around us. 

Shabbat Shalom, v'kol tuv,

Rabbi Irwin Huberman