James Franco Explains the Art of Selfies: 'Attention Is Power'

Actor James Franco likes taking selfies. Like you, it fuels his self-described Instagram addiction. But while his selfies get lots of love from his more than 1 million Instagram followers, he also faces fervent flack for being the photographer of his own face

Franco, 35, penned a revealing article in The New York Times, explaining why selfies are important to celebrities and what the behavior says about our culture:

But a well-stocked collection of selfies seems to get attention. And attention seems to be the name of the game when it comes to social networking. In this age of too much information at a click of a button, the power to attract viewers amid the sea of things to read and watch is power indeed. It’s what the movie studios want for their products, it’s what professional writers want for their work, it’s what newspapers want — hell, it’s what everyone wants: attention. Attention is power. And if you are someone people are interested in, then the selfie provides something very powerful, from the most privileged perspective possible. Read more...