As selfies are primarily messages, they have a tendency to be over-expressive. Extreme postures are common. There are no mute selfies. Analogue portraits, by contrast, are usually quiet. They do not demand one’s attention. This quietness is precisely what gives them their expressive force. Selfies are loud, but poor in genuine expression. Because of the exaggerated postures affected, the subjects look like masks. The fact that visual digital communication has taken hold of the human face is not without consequence. The face has taken on the form of a commodity. As Benjamin would say, the face
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