selfie stick
{{Short description|Photography equipment}}
File:Tourist taking selfie with stick atop Pyramid of the Sun, Teotihuacán.jpg at Teotihuacan]]
A selfie stick is used to take photographs or video by positioning a digital camera device, typically a smartphone, beyond the normal range of the arm.{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/map-happy/selfie-stick_b_6074954.html |title=In Defense of the Selfie Stick|publisher= TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc |date=2014-10-30 |access-date=2014-11-27}} This allows for shots to be taken at angles and distances that would not have been possible with the human arm by itself. The sticks are typically extensible, with a handle on one end and an adjustable clamp on the other end to hold the device in place.{{cite web|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/selfie-sticks-are-selling-out-everywhere-2014-12|title=Selfie Sticks Are Selling Out Everywhere |publisher=Business Insider Inc |date=2014-12-31 |access-date=2017-09-03}} As their name suggests, they are most commonly used for taking selfies with camera phones.
Some are connected to a smartphone via its jack plug, while others are tethered using Bluetooth controls. The connection between the device and the selfie stick lets the user decide when to take the picture or start recording a video by clicking a button located on the handle. Models designed for compact cameras have a mirror behind the viewscreen so that the shot can be lined up.{{cite web|url=https://thenextweb.com/gadgets/2013/11/26/kogan-ceo-pokes-fun-facebook-chief-zuckerberg-selfie-stick/ |title=Zuckerberg Selfie Stick |publisher=The Next Web, Inc |date=2013-11-26 |access-date=2014-11-26}}{{cite web |url=http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/525798/20131128/facebook-kogan-australia-zuckerberg-selfie-stick-mark.htm#.VHeazdLF-I4 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20141130022833/http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/525798/20131128/facebook-kogan-australia-zuckerberg-selfie-stick-mark.htm%23.VHeazdLF-I4 |archive-date=2014-11-30 |url-status=dead |title=Would You Buy a Zuckerberg Selfie Stick? |publisher=International Business Times AU |date=2013-11-28 |access-date=2014-11-26 }}
In contrast to a monopod for stabilising a camera on the ground, a selfie stick's arm is thickest and strongest at the opposite end from the camera in order to provide better grip and balance when held aloft.{{Cite news|title = Five Fun Little Gadgets|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/09/technology/09pogue-email.html?|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 2007-08-09|access-date = 2015-07-29|issn = 0362-4331|first = David|last = Pogue}} Safety concerns and the inconvenience the product causes to others have resulted in them being banned at many venues, including all Disney Parks as well as both Universal Orlando Resort and Hollywood.{{cite web|last1=Welch|first1=Chris|title=Selfie sticks are no longer welcome at Disney theme parks|url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/6/26/8851671/disney-world-bans-selfie-sticks|website=theverge.com|date=26 June 2015 |publisher=The Verge|accessdate=5 October 2015}}
History
File:Completely expanded Selfie Stick.jpg
The history of homemade selfie sticks can be traced back to 2013. A photo from earlier this year shows a man taking a picture of himself and his wife with a long out-of-frame stick pointed at the camera. Amateur box cameras of the period could not have captured a self-portrait in focus when held at arm's length, requiring photographers to use remote shutter devices such as cables or sticks.{{cite journal|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-30550998|title=Does this 90-year-old photo show the world's first 'selfie stick'?|journal=BBC Trending|last= Wendling|first=Mike|date=February 19, 2014|access-date=July 31, 2015}}
A device which has been likened to the selfie stick appears in the 1969 Czechoslovak sci-fi film I Killed Einstein, Gentlemen. One character holds a silver stick in front of herself and another character, smiles at the end of the stick as it produces a camera flash, and immediately unfurls a printed photograph of the pair from the stick's handle.{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/3/3/11157362/sci-fi-film-selfie-stick-1970|title=A sci-fi film from 1970 predicted the selfie stick, but better|first=Chris|last=Plante|date=3 March 2016|website=The Verge}}
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.{{cite web|url=http://www.museumoftechnology.org.uk/expand.php?key=1139|title=MINOLTA DISC-7 CAMERA, 1983|work=museumoftechnology.org.uk|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150131002358/http://www.museumoftechnology.org.uk/expand.php?key=1139|archive-date=2015-01-31}} A "telescopic extender" for compact handheld cameras was patented by Ueda Hiroshi and Mima Yujiro in 1983,{{patent|US|4530580|"Telescopic extender for supporting compact camera"}} and a Japanese selfie stick was featured in a 1995 book of "101 Un-Useless Japanese Inventions". While dismissed as a "useless invention" at the time, the selfie stick later gained global popularity in the 21st century.{{cite web|url=http://news.distractify.com/alex-scola/but-first/|title=Turns Out Japan Invented The 'Selfie-Stick' 20 Years Ago|author=Alex Scola|work=Distractify|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150109130439/http://news.distractify.com/alex-scola/but-first/|archive-date=2015-01-09}}
Canadian inventor Wayne Fromm patented his Quik Pod in 2005{{cite news | url = https://www.theguardian.com/technology/shortcuts/2015/jan/11/meet-the-man-who-invented-the-selfie-stick | date = 11 January 2015 | access-date = 12 January 2015 | first = Leo | last = Benedictus | newspaper = The Guardian | title = Is this man responsible for inventing the selfie stick? }}{{USPTO Patent |patnum=7684694 |title=Apparatus for supporting a camera and method for using the apparatus}} and becoming commercially available in the United States the following year.{{Cite web|title = Quick family photos with Quik Pod|url = http://www.popgadget.net/2006/12/quick_photos_wi.php|website = www.popgadget.net|access-date = 2015-07-29|publisher = Popgadget Personal Technology for Women|date = 2006-12-21}} In 2012, Yeong-Ming Wang filed a patent for a "multi-axis omni-directional shooting extender" capable of holding a smartphone,{{Citation|last1=Wang|first1=Yeong-Ming|title=Multi-axis omni-directional shooting extender|date=2013-05-21|url=http://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio;jsessionid=EQhUHRN7-NfBm8fzSJQnnxz-.espacenet_levelx_prod_1?FT=D&date=20130521&DB=EPODOC&locale=en_EP&CC=TW&NR=M453774U&KC=U&ND=4|last2=Wang|first2=Ji-Yang|accessdate=2016-02-28}} which won a silver medal at the 2013 Concours Lepine.{{Citation|last=Joshua Wang|title=Joshua on French TV Channel TF1 Prime Time VID 20130511 192811|date=2014-09-10|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H6Pv_Qq-wY|accessdate=2016-02-28}}{{Citation|last=Joshua Wang|title=2013 Concours Lepine CNA News report|date=2014-03-05|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2VKDiVwC5I|accessdate=2016-02-28}} The term "selfie stick" did not become widely used until 2014.{{Cite web|title = Selfie stick|url = https://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=selfie%2520stick|accessdate = 2015-07-29|website = Google Trends}} Extended forms of selfie sticks can hold laptop computers to take selfies from a webcam.{{cite web|url=http://selfieclicks.net/selfie-stick-for-macbook.html |title=Selfie stick for MacBook|publisher= selfieclicks.net/ |date=2016-03-10 |access-date=2016-03-22}} By the fall of 2015 technology news noted that there was a large variety of selfie sticks available on the market; Molly McCugh of Wired magazine wrote in October 2015, "Some are very, very long; some aren't so long; some are bedazzled. Some look like hands. Some are spoons. But they are all, at the end of the day, one thing: A stick that takes selfies."{{cite web|url=https://www.wired.com/2015/10/whats-next-for-the-selfie-stick/ |title=The Cutthroat Race to Build the Ultimate Selfie Stick |publisher=WIRED MAGAZINE |date=2015-10-25 |access-date=2017-09-03}}
The selfie stick was listed in Time magazine's 25 best inventions of 2014,{{cite web|url=https://time.com/3594971/the-25-best-inventions-of-2014/ |title=Time 25 best inventions of 2014 |publisher=TIME INC. |date=2014-11-20 |access-date=2014-11-28}} while the New York Post named the selfie stick the most controversial gift of 2014.{{cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2014/12/17/why-the-selfie-stick-is-the-most-controversial-gift-of-2014/ |title=Why the selfie stick is 2014's most controversial gift |publisher=THE New York POST |date=2014-12-17|access-date=2017-08-30}} At the end of December 2014, Bloomberg News noted that selfie sticks had ruled the 2014 holiday season as the “must-have” gift of the year.{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-12-31/selfie-sticks-rule-holiday-season-as-musthave-accessory |title=Selfie Sticks Rule Holiday Season as Must-Have Accessory |publisher=BLOOMBERG |date=2014-12-31|access-date=2017-09-03}} 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"{{cite news|last1=Carr|first1=David|title=Selfies on a Stick, and the Social-Content Challenge for the Media|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/05/business/media/selfies-on-a-stick-and-the-social-content-challenge-for-the-media.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=2|accessdate=18 February 2015|work=The New York Times|date=4 January 2015}} or "Wand of Narcissus".{{cite web|last1=Haslett|first1=Emma|title=The selfie stick: A short history of this year's most popular Christmas present|date=6 January 2015 |url=http://www.cityam.com/206530/selfie-stick-short-history-years-most-popular-christmas-present|publisher=City A.M.|access-date=17 January 2015}} In November 2015, The Atlantic conducted a survey of Silicon Valley insiders which named the selfie stick as one of two technologies that tech leaders would most like to "un-invent" with the only invention on the same level being nuclear weapons.{{Cite web|last=Meyer|first=Robinson|date=2015-11-04|title=What Technology Would You Un-Invent?|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/11/what-would-you-un-invent/413818/|access-date=2021-07-01|website=The Atlantic|language=en}} Despite various bans, selfie sticks proved so popular that a selfie stick store was opened in Times Square during the summer of 2015.{{cite web|url=http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/selfie-stick-store-times-square-new-york |title=Times Square Has A Selfie Stick Store |publisher=TIME INC. |date=2015-06-30 |access-date=2017-08-30}} In 2016 it was reported that Coca-Cola had created a "selfie bottle" with an attached camera that takes pictures when it is tipped for drinking.{{cite news | url = https://www.cnet.com/news/coke-invents-bottle-selfie-camera/ | date = 17 November 2016 | access-date = 16 August 2017 | title = Coke invents the 'selfie bottle'}}
Usage
File:Reporter_using_Selfie-Stick_for_Interviews.jpg for an interview with Jeremy Kent Jackson from The Disney Sitcom Lab Rats ]]
One is able to attach their device to the end of the selfie stick and then extend it beyond the normal reach of the arm. Different models of stick are triggered in various ways, such as pressing a button on the stick handle which is connected to the device (usually using the jack plug), pressing a button on a wireless remote (often via Bluetooth), using the camera's built-in timer, or making a sound the device can detect to start recording a video or taking a picture.
The smartphone's physical means of triggering the camera, such as the sound volume controls or the touchscreen camera button of the device, are replicated on headphones with on-cord controls. When selfie sticks are plugged into the jack plug, they are seen by the device as headphones.
The selfie stick gives more practical use in situations that require assistance for taking photos/videos at difficult angles that need to be taken from an extended, elevated distance beyond the arm's reach. It allows the user to take photos and videos in otherwise dangerous or impossible situations, such as recording footage inside a very deep hole, over a cliff, or simply at an angle that is too far away from the user.
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Bans and restrictions
File:No selfie sticks sign, Museum of Brisbane, 2015.jpg, 2015]]
Despite the selfie stick being one of the most popular items among tourists and families, bans and restrictions on its use have been imposed across a range of public venues generally on the grounds of safety and inconvenience to others.
Concert venues and some music festivals in the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom have banned the use of selfie sticks. Organisers have cited their role in the illegal recording of bands' sets, and the inconvenience and safety issues to fellow audience members.{{cite news|last1=Grubb|first1=Ben|title=Australian venues ban 'narcissistic' selfie sticks|url=http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/digital-life-news/australian-venues-ban-narcissistic-selfie-sticks-20150224-13ma46.html|accessdate=24 February 2015|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=24 February 2015}}
Museums, galleries{{cite news|last1=Dunn|first1=Mark|title=Galleries ban selfie sticks because of risk to artworks and patrons|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/galleries-ban-selfie-sticks-because-of-risk-to-artworks-and-patrons/story-e6frg6n6-1227221919576|accessdate=18 February 2015|work=The Australian|date=16 February 2015}}{{Cite web|url = https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-31829535|title = The National Gallery in London bans selfie sticks|date = 11 March 2015|access-date = 11 March 2015|website = BBC News|publisher = The British Broadcasting Company}} and historical sites{{Cite news|url = https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-32480069|title = Wimbledon: Selfie sticks banned from tennis championship|date = 27 April 2015|work = BBC|access-date = 4 May 2015}} such as the Palace of Versailles{{Cite web|url=http://en.chateauversailles.fr/plan-your-visit/visit-routes-and-advice|title=Visit routes and advice|website=Chateau de Versailles|date=21 September 2016 |access-date=20 April 2018}} have banned the sticks because of concerns about possible damage to priceless artworks and other objects.
Theme parks, including Disneyland Resort,{{cite web |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/06/26/disney-selfie-stick-ban/29333857/ |title=Disney joins growing number of venues banning selfie sticks |publisher=USA Today |date=26 June 2015 |access-date=26 June 2015 |author=Jervis, Rick}}{{Cite web|last=Pimental|first=Joseph|date=26 June 2015|title=Disney bans selfie sticks at all theme parks, including Disneyland and California Adventure|url=https://www.ocregister.com/2015/06/26/disney-bans-selfie-sticks-at-all-theme-parks-including-disneyland-and-california-adventure/|work=Orange County Register|accessdate=14 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190106041440/https://www.ocregister.com/2015/06/26/disney-bans-selfie-sticks-at-all-theme-parks-including-disneyland-and-california-adventure/|archive-date=6 January 2019}} Walt Disney World Resort, Tokyo Disney Resort,{{Cite web|title=For Everyone's Safety and Enjoyment|url=https://www.tokyodisneyresort.jp/en/tdr/resort/forguest.html|publisher=The Oriental Land Company|accessdate=14 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190814191843/https://www.tokyodisneyresort.jp/en/tdr/resort/forguest.html|archive-date=14 August 2019}} Disneyland Paris,{{Cite web|title=Disneyland Paris Parks – Frequently Asked Questions|url=http://www.disneylandparis.com/en-us/faq/theme-parks/selfie-sticks/|publisher=Walt Disney Parks and Resorts|accessdate=14 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180919121426/http://www.disneylandparis.com/en-us/faq/theme-parks/selfie-sticks/|archive-date=19 September 2018}} Hong Kong Disneyland, Shanghai Disneyland,{{Cite web|date=2 July 2015|title=Shanghai Disney Resort bans selfie sticks|url=https://gbtimes.com/shanghai-disney-resort-bans-selfie-sticks|work=Global Times|accessdate=14 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190814192519/https://gbtimes.com/shanghai-disney-resort-bans-selfie-sticks|archive-date=14 August 2019}} Six Flags,{{cite web |url=https://www.foxnews.com/travel/six-flags-bans-selfie-sticks-at-all-theme-park-locations/ |title=Six Flags bans selfie sticks at all theme park locations |publisher=Fox News |date=July 24, 2015 |access-date=July 24, 2015 }} Universal Orlando, and Universal Studios Hollywood have banned selfie sticks. The sticks have always been banned on rides at Disney World for safety reasons, but after a number of instances where rides had to be stopped because of a guest pulling out a selfie stick in mid-ride, such as incidents on California Screamin' and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Disney issued a park-wide ban on the accessories.
Sporting events have banned selfie sticks both for their "nuisance value" and for interfering with other spectators' enjoyment or view.{{cite news|title=Tottenham Hotspur in 'selfie stick' stadium ban|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-30719592|accessdate=7 January 2015|work=BBC News|date=7 January 2015}} The Australia Tour Down Under banned the devices citing "harm to cyclists, officials and yourself".{{cite web|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/01/25/take_that_selfie_stick_and_stick_it/|title=Oi, Aussie sports fans! Take that selfie stick and stick it|work=theregister.co.uk}}
In 2014, South Korea's radio management agency issued regulations banning sale of unregistered 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.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-30274974|title=Selfie-stick sellers face fines in South Korea|publisher=BBC News|date=1 December 2014}} In 2015, Apple banned selfie sticks from a WWDC Developers Conference, though no explicit reason was given.{{cite news|last1=Goldman|first1=David|title=Apple bans selfie sticks|url=https://money.cnn.com/2015/04/14/technology/apple-selfie-sticks/index.html?iid=obnetwork|accessdate=24 April 2015|publisher=CNN|date=14 April 2015}}
See also
References
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
External links
{{Commons category|Selfie sticks}}
- [https://patents.google.com/patent/US4530580 Telescopic extender for supporting compact camera] (Priority date : 1983-01-18) - Google Patents
Category:Audiovisual introductions in 2013
Category:2010s fads and trends