Narcissism For A Cause

I am not hip.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not putting myself down. If you’ve met me before you know that I know I am awesome—and humble, shhh—but I am the first to admit that I am not “in.” I don’t dress in the latest fashions, I am horrible at following the latest trends, and I very rarely understand slang (to the point that I often have to google things my Mother texts me, because yes, my Mother is cooler than I am). I am slow to jump on bandwagons, missing most of them entirely, I don’t have a SnapChat account, I still don’t understand what a “kik” is, and I think I saw the abbreviation “smh” about 100 times before I figured out what it meant. It means “shaking my head,” for all of my fellow oblivious-inos. So again, I repeat, I am not hip.

But that doesn’t mean I am oblivious.

I see the trends happening. I watch as they grow traction, spreading from individuals to advertisements to memes, and understand that they have completely and utterly made it as a piece of our culture the moment they are officially given a place in the Oxford English Dictionary (typically the same moment that they also officially become “uncool”).

selfie
My favorite example sentence.

In 2013, “selfie” was announced as the word of the year. Selfies have a rich history; tracing back to daguerreotypes from the 1800s and booming in recent popularity through websites such as MySpace and Facebook, or apps like Instagram and SnapChat. A selfie satisfies a deep narcissistic need that exists in all of us, presumably an aesthetically pleasing guise for a selfish call for attention and appreciation, but is that really all it is? Defined as “a photograph that one has taken of oneself,” a selfie can be viewed as our modern day affiliation to Narcissus or a popular artistic method used to spread a message. Whether it’s the Selfless Selfie Project by Uniqlo to showcase the men and women working to change the world, the #GiveYourSelfie online movement supporting charities and nonprofits, or Keep A Breast Foundation’s #CheckYourSelfie to raise breast cancer awareness, there are plenty of reasons to take a selfie of your very own.

selfie-search

Don’t worry. I hear you. In your head you’re asking, “But what is the best reason?” Well, dear reader, that is an excellent question.

Answer: the #ShopSmall selfie. Or better yet, the #ShopLAXCoastal selfie.

If you’ve kept an eye on our LAX Coastal Calendar lately, or read our Weekly E-Newsletter, you know that November 26 is Small Business Saturday. Founded by American Express in 2010, Small Business Saturday encourages residents to support their local business community and #shopsmall. “More than 95 million consumers shopped on Small Business Saturday in 2015, spending around $16.2 billion total at independent retailers and restaurants across the U.S.” Through Welcome Stations, Scavenger Hunts, and other community activities, businesses and residents come together on Small Business Saturday to support one another and celebrate exactly what makes their community great, all while enhancing their local economy.

shop-lax-coastal-selfie

So this year, on Saturday November 26, your local chamber is here to encourage you to do the same through the #ShopLAXCoastal selfie. Simply patronize one of our amazing LAX Coastal Chamber members, listed here, and take a selfie. Whether the selfie is of you looking fly in your duds (did I say that right?), you and the business owner you’re supporting, or you and an awesome product you are buying, we want to see it. Simply take the shot, post it on social media, and make sure to tag #ShopLAXCoastal and #ShopSmall.

We love the community we represent, and we know you do too, so let’s show the online community just how much!


 

Are you a local business in the area? Are you planning a special event or promotion for Small Business Saturday? Let us know! We are always looking to support your business and promote your product.

 

Find the LAX Coastal Chamber on Social Media:

Facebook – /laxcoastal

Instagram – @laxcoastal, #laxcoastal, #yourlocalchamber

Twitter – @laxcoastal, #laxcoastal, #yourlocalchamber

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