What To Do When You See Someone Taking A Selfie At Work

by Tiffany Bloodworth Rivers on September 6, 2014
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Oxford dictionaries defines a selfie as “a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smart phone or web cam and uploaded to a social media website.” It seems like overnight the selfie has become a sort of phenomenon. Every day, there are one million selfies taken in the 18-24 year old demographic. Selfies also make up one third of all photos taken by people in the same demographic. However, most people who are caught while taking a selfie are embarrassed.

There is a time and place for selfies, and the workplace isn’t it. For example, our American president made his own headline in December 2013 when he was caught on camera posing for a “selfie” with Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt and her UK counterpart David Cameron at the memorial service for former South African president Nelson Mandela. White House officials were also not amused when French journalists took advantage of President Francois Hollande’s Washington visit to take “selfies” in the Oval Office. 

So what should you do if you see someone taking a selfie at work?Taking selfies at work is on the rise.

Laugh It Off

If you know the person well enough, laugh with them about their embarrassment. Laughing about it can make the situation less embarrassing. Besides, we have all been caught doing something embarrassing, so there’s no room for judgments.

Make a Light-Hearted Joke

Like we said, everyone has been caught doing something embarrassing so we can all joke about it. However, make sure you don’t take it too far and upset your coworker. A selfie is no reason to have office tension. 

Ignore It

For those who don’t like to confront, this might be the best option, as long as the person taking the selfie didn’t see you. However, this choice should be avoided if the person is taking a selfie during important occurrences at the office- like this month’s budget meeting!

Photo Bomb

If you’re brave enough, this option is for you! Just make sure you get in and out quickly. The person taking the selfie will be in for a great surprise! 

So next time you catch someone taking a selfie, choose one of these options to make the situation a little less embarrassing. Or maybe you did something different with your own situation. Let us know in the comments below!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tiffany Bloodworth Rivers

Tiffany covers leadership and marketing topics and enjoys learning about how technology shapes our industry. Before iOFFICE, she worked in local news but don't hold that against her.

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