Selfie
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Selfie
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Selfie is a sitcom that explores the downside of social media and virtual images through a character whose online popularity takes a hit after an embarrassing video of her circulates. The show presents her behavior much like an addict's and follows her attempt to recover from her obsessive need for Instagram, Twitter, and the like. Its messages are solid -- illustrating for viewers the difference between virtual friends and real ones, for instance -- even if they are a bit overt for the adult crowd. Expect some mild cursing ("hell" and "ass"), sexual references, and other adult behavior (drinking at social events) that shouldn't rule out teens from a show with some great talking points about online safety.
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What's the Story?
Determined to put years of being a social outsider behind her, Eliza Dooley (Karen Gillan) turns to social media to reinvent her image and now happily boasts that she's loved by 263,000 followers. But when an embarrassing incident becomes a viral sensation, Eliza learns that virtual fame is fickle at best and that real friends are a rare commodity. Desperate to strike a happy medium, she enlists the help of her coworker Henry (John Cho) to once again "rebrand" herself (a modern My Fair Lady initiative). Henry's initial hesitation to help Eliza, whom he considers a lost cause of narcissism, eventually gives way to a surprising affection as she slowly learns how to relate to people. What's even more surprising, though, is how the experience affects him.
Is It Any Good?
SELFIE is a comical commentary on our app-crazed modern society as it's represented by the excessively shallow Eliza. One hopes that her narcissism is the exception rather than the rule, of course, but it's hard to watch her obsessive posting, status checks, and, yes, selfies and not consider how your own digital behavior might compare. Even at lesser levels, there's no arguing that social media has changed how we present ourselves and how we relate to other people, and this show attempts to weigh the benefits of this shift against the potential damage it's done to interpersonal relationships.
Even so, Selfie seems geared more toward teens than adults, who will quickly tire of being smacked in the face by its glaringly obvious messages. It doesn't hint at its themes; it spells them out in insightful dialogue that gives the story an air of repetition even as it delivers some really decent substance. The characters' foibles are entertaining to watch, and it's hard not to feel some sympathy for Eliza. If nothing else, this series is a lighthearted way to start a conversation with your teens about the ups and downs of social media.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the draw of social media. What entices users to share their experiences on sites such as Facebook and Instagram? Are there benefits to doing so? In what ways does it facilitate relationships with friends and family?
Teens: Do you believe everything you see online? How does social media allow users to create facades? Does this put new pressures on you to maintain a certain image in person?
Talk with your teens about your family's rules for the Internet. What kinds of things are not appropriate to share online? Is anything online really private? What constitutes cyberbullying?
TV Details
- Premiere date: September 30, 2014
- Cast: Karen Gillan, John Cho, Allyn Rachel
- Network: ABC
- Genre: Comedy
- Topics: Friendship
- TV rating: TV-14
- Last updated: February 26, 2022
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