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Selfie stick

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File:Groufie.jpg
Three tourists using a selfie stick to take a group photograph in Prague.
Reporter using a Selfie Stick instead of a videographer for an interview

A selfie stick is a monopod used to take selfie photographs by positioning a smartphone or camera beyond the normal range of the arm.[1] The metal sticks are typically extendable, with a handle on one end and an adjustable clamp on the other end to hold a phone in place.[2] Some have remote or Bluetooth controls, letting the user decide when to take the picture,[2] and models designed for cameras have a mirror behind the viewscreen so that the shot can be lined up.[3][4] Safety concerns and the inconvenience the product causes to others has resulted in their being banned at many venues.

History

A fully extended selfie stick with a smartphone attached

The 1983 "Minolta Disc-7" camera had a convex mirror on its front to allow the composition of self-portraits, and its packaging showed the camera mounted on a stick while used for such a purpose.[5] A "telescopic extender" for compact handheld cameras was patented in U.S. in 1983,[6] and a Japanese selfie stick was featured in a 1995 book of 101 Un-Useless Japanese Inventions.[7] Canadian inventor Wayne Fromm patented his "Quik Pod" in 2005.[8][9] Phone-holding rods have been available in the United States since at least 2011, with an iStabilizer-branded monopod going on sale in 2012.[10]

The selfie stick was listed in Time magazine's 25 best inventions of 2014.[11] The selfie stick has been criticized for its association with the perceived narcissism and self-absorption of contemporary society, with commentators in 2015 dubbing the tool the "Narcisstick"[12] or "Wand of Narcissus".[13]

Usage

People attach their cell phone or camera to the end of the selfie stick, raise it in front of themselves and then press a button on the stick handle which is connected to the camera, or presses a button on a wireless remote, or uses the camera's built-in timer to take a photo after a number of seconds have elapsed.

Bans and restrictions

"No selfie sticks" sign, Museum of Brisbane, 2015

Bans and restrictions on the use of selfie sticks have been imposed across a range of public venues generally on the grounds of safety and inconvenience to others.

Several concert venues in Australia,[14] and the United Kingdom[15] have banned the use of selfie sticks, along with some music festivals in the United States.[15] Organisers have cited their role in the "illegal recording" of bands' sets, and the inconvenience and safety issues to fellow audience members.[14] The sticks have been banned in some museums and galleries[16][17] and historical sites[18] because of concerns about possible damage to art works.[16][17]

Selfie sticks have been banned from many sporting events both for their "nuisance value" and for interfering with other spectators' enjoyment[18] or view.[19] The Australia Tour Down Under banned the devices citing "harm to cyclists, officials and yourself".[20] Emirates Stadium, home of Arsenal Football Club, bans "any object that could be used as a weapon or could compromise public safety", and regard selfie sticks as such an item.[21]

In June 2015, Walt Disney World Resort imposed a ban on selfie sticks in several of its theme parks. The sticks have always been banned on rides, but there had been a number of instances, most notably on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, where rides had to be stopped several times after riders attempted to use selfie sticks, leading to a park-wide ban on the accessories. Similar bans were imposed at Disneyland Resort, Disneyland Resort Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.[22]

In 2014, South Korea's radio management agency issued guidelines for the sale of selfie sticks that use bluetooth technology to trigger the camera, as any such device sold in South Korea is considered a "telecommunications device" and must be tested by and registered with the agency.[23] In 2015, computer company Apple Inc. banned them from a WWDC Developers Conference.[24]

References

  1. ^ "In Defense of the Selfie Stick". TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. 2014-10-30. Retrieved 2014-11-27.
  2. ^ a b "The New Tool Everyone Is Using". Business Insider Inc. 2014-07-16. Retrieved 2014-11-26.
  3. ^ "Zuckerberg Selfie Stick". The Next Web, Inc. 2013-11-26. Retrieved 2014-11-26.
  4. ^ "Would You Buy a Zuckerberg Selfie Stick?". International Business Times AU. 2013-11-28. Retrieved 2014-11-26.
  5. ^ "MINOLTA DISC-7 CAMERA, 1983". museumoftechnology.org.uk.
  6. ^ US 4530580  "Telescopic extender for supporting compact camera"
  7. ^ Alex Scola. "Turns Out Japan Invented The 'Selfie-Stick' 20 Years Ago". Distractify.
  8. ^ Benedictus, Leo (11 January 2015). "Is this man responsible for inventing the selfie stick?". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  9. ^ US Patent No. 7684694 Apparatus for supporting a camera and method for using the apparatus
  10. ^ Rosmanjan, Katherine (2 January 2015). "The Selfie Stick Takes Manhattan". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
  11. ^ "Time 25 best inventions of 2014". TIME INC. 2014-11-20. Retrieved 2014-11-28.
  12. ^ Carr, David (4 January 2015). "Selfies on a Stick, and the Social-Content Challenge for the Media". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
  13. ^ Haslett, Emma. "The selfie stick: A short history of this year's most popular Christmas present". City A.M. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  14. ^ a b Grubb, Ben (24 February 2015). "Australian venues ban 'narcissistic' selfie sticks". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  15. ^ a b "Selfie sticks banned at US festivals". NME. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  16. ^ a b Dunn, Mark (16 February 2015). "Galleries ban selfie sticks because of risk to artworks and patrons". The Australian. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
  17. ^ a b "Wimbledon: Selfie sticks banned from tennis championship". BBC. 27 April 2015. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
  18. ^ "Tottenham Hotspur in 'selfie stick' stadium ban". BBC News. 7 January 2015. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  19. ^ "Oi, Aussie sports fans! Take that selfie stick and stick it". theregister.co.uk.
  20. ^ Matt Barlow (January 7, 2015). "Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur ban 'selfie sticks' from grounds after fans' complaints".
  21. ^ Jervis, Rick (26 June 2015). "Disney joins growing number of venues banning selfie sticks". USA Today. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  22. ^ "Selfie-stick sellers face fines in South Korea". BBC News. 1 December 2014.
  23. ^ Goldman, David (14 April 2015). "Apple bans selfie sticks". CNN. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
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