'Selfie' Fans Get Their Own Section Of Apple iTunes App Store
(CBS SF) -- The ubiquity of cellphone users taking photos of themselves has prompted Apple to feature apps that specifically cater to 'selfies.'
Apple has unveiled a section on iTunes App Store called 'Sharing Selfies' featuring at least 12 different apps, including the well-known Snapchat.
Most of the apps are free, others are either 99 cents or $1.99. The apps allow users to easily add graphics, music and integrate with users' existing social networks.
Selfies have exploded in popularity on social networks along with the prevalence of smartphones with front- and back-facing lenses.
While the term 'selfie' has reportedly been in use since 2002, it was designated as 2013 word of the year by the Oxford English Dictionaries as well as topping that year's list of most annoying words.
It has gained even more traction by way of a celebrity selfie at the Oscar awards ceremony and an impromptu photo break by President Obama at the funeral of South African leader Nelson Mandela.
Meanwhile, the popularity of 'selfies' is having a huge impact on facial plastic surgery, according to a recent study by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
