Selfie sticks - for selfish selfholes?

[Adobo]

This is the same question I asked in another thread (rude divers). I only got a couple of responses so I thought I would try again on a separate thread.

According to a couple of other posters:

I thought those poles were called Selfish Sticks. .....

Because they are used by "selfholes".

I recognize that I copied and pasted their posts out of context - could have been largely tongue in cheek. But it did raise a question in my mind.

My question is this...

How do you feel about divers who dive with selfie sticks? I get the sense that several people have negative feelings about divers with selfie sticks. Perhaps they think divers who take selfie videos are *selfish* or perhaps they think that anyone who carries a selfie stick on a dive is by definition, a jackhole.

If you don't like selfie sticks or divers with selfie sticks, can you elaborate on why?

 

[divad]

I think they're shelfish.

 

[uncfnp]

Extension poles or "Selfie Sticks" for gopros and diving are often used for the same reason as video trays, to help stabilize the video. They can also serve to get shots from distances and angles that might be difficult otherwise. I could be wrong but I doubt that the majority of divers that use extension poles with their gopros are doing it for selfies.

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

For me - I am down there for exploration not self glorification. People who know me know what I look like - so what is the point?

If used for stabilization for shots that is fine but not for selfies... I use a tray for shots but not shots of me... Training - I see no downside but going for a dive?

 

[Storker]

Personal opinion only, but to me selfies seem like a good indication of a narcissistic personality. Therefore I regard a gadget specially made for selfies one of the more ridiculous objects one can buy. Add the fact that some selfie shooters seem totally oblivious to the world around them (yes, I know. Confirmation bias) and I end up with a noticeable disregard for selfie sticks.



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[smoothfin]

I can only recall seeing one diver using something like that, and that was for the above-mentioned specialized distance shot or angle. I just can't imagine someone using it to take a selfie, at least not on the charters around my area, because they'd probably get laughed off of the boat. Personally I don't care as long as the diver using it doesn't cause a problem for others.

 

[knotical]

... Personally I don't care as long as the diver using it doesn't cause a problem for others.

+1

And that goes either above or below the water. It's just a tool.

 

[yle]

I haven't found any correlation between what kind of mount (tray, stick, wrist, etc) a diver has for their camera and the offensiveness of their behavior. But I'll admit I haven't really studied it. There's nothing about a stick that would make me automatically assume the user of the stick is an offensive person.

My son uses a 24-inch pole for his gopro. He makes videos while diving. Hasn't affected my feelings toward him one way or another.

 

[boulderjohn]

I think the sticks used for GoPros are primarily used as a tool for taking good video, and I don't see anything wrong with them.

On shore, the true selfie stick for cell phones can be used to take effective group shots without the need to get others to take the shots for you. I don't see anything wrong with using one for that purpose, either.

In the case of narcissists taking pictures of themselves constantly, the sticks also serve a valuable purpose. If you take it away, you have something to beat them with.

 

[ontdiver]

It goes without saying that you can find "several people" with negative feelings on just about any topic you can imagine. But like it or not, social media above and below the surface is not going away.