Selfie culture is narcissism gone wild, says Queen’s chaplain

ONE of the Queen’s chaplains has described selfie hunters as “narcissists”, as he criticised them for posing outside churches and ancient monuments.

The Very Rev Dr John Chalmers, of the Ecclesiastical Household in Scotland, said the selfie culture was “narcissism gone wild”. The former Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, said following Christ was “about taking up a cross rather than a selfie stick.”

Writing in Life and Work, the magazine of the Church of Scotland, Dr Chalmers said that last summer he and his wife visited the Pantheon, “one of Rome’s most extraordinary buildings”.

“Still almost speechless we spilt out into the daylight alongside others from around the world who were also enjoying the amazing sites of the city.

“That was when we overheard a young man say to his companion: ‘Where do you want to go now?’ The response was, ‘Let’s nip down to the Vatican. I don’t want to hang around there, but I need to get a quick selfie in front of St Peter’s; then we’re done.’ Here was the prospect of visiting a Unesco World Heritage Site with a unique collection of artistic and architectural masterpieces and what seemed to be more important than anything else was capturing a selfie that reduces the surroundings to no more than a backdrop.

Earlier this year Norwich Cathedral was accused of “treating God like a tourist attraction” after installing a helter skelter.

“What worries me is the thought that the selfie culture is a kind of narcissism gone wild,” Dr Chalmers added. “There may be nothing much wrong with the occasional photograph that shows us standing beside some famous person or site, but is it altogether healthy to be running around with your phone on a selfie-stick to make sure you’re at the centre of every picture?

“Life isn’t all about me, me, me! Modesty beats pride hands down, humility is healthier than arrogance and self-effacement beats self-importance every time.”