Professor Philip Gura in the Washington Post explains the roots of the Selfie in the story of American individualism

Professor Philip Gura explains the deeper philosophical contexts of the “selfie” on the occasion of its celebration as the Oxford English Dictionary word of the year. 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/selfie-reliance-the-word-of-the-year-is-the-story-of-our-individualism/2013/11/19/fba53c82-5132-11e3-9fe0-fd2ca728e67c_story.html