Back in the early 2000s, there was no such thing as a selfie 🤳

Reflecting on my early days of life and the year I got my first phone, I remember it vividly. It was a Nokia phone, one of those old models that seem ancient now. Unfortunately, I can't recall the exact model name. It wasn't just a black and white phone; it had a colored screen, albeit without a camera to capture photos.
Back then, our primary focus wasn't on taking pictures; instead, we were obsessed with downloading music and game apps from sites and playing them to our hearts' content.

When 2go became a popular trend, everyone wanted display photos, sparking the need for images. We would seek out older siblings or cousins with phones equipped with cameras to fulfill this desire. Selfie cameras were nonexistent, so we relied on others to take our photos while we struck various poses.
This means that even if you succeed to borrow a Camera phone, without the photographer to snap the photos, nothing would happen. Using the back camera to snap oneself as a selfie do not come out well.

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As time passed, larger phones with better features emerged, causing our perception of what constituted a "big" phone to shift. We gradually transitioned to focusing on camera capabilities. Once someone gets a new phone, we would all look out to see if it has a camera ( a fine camera).

I distinctly recall a day playing football when one of the older guys in our street, whom we affectionately referred to as "big brother," showed up with a Nokia X2. His immediate action upon arrival was to showcase the phone's camera. It was remarkably sharp, and the photos he took of us from a distance looked as if they had been professionally edited. Naturally, we couldn't resist asking him to take more photos of us, which we intended to upload on Facebook.

He obliged, and we lined up eagerly, each taking turns posing for the camera. For a while, he became our unofficial photographer. However, he eventually grew weary of our constant requests, especially since he was an avid gamer who preferred spending his time in PlayStation rooms. We respected his frustration and stopped bothering him for photos.

Life continued, and eventually, I purchased a "China phone," as we colloquially called them due to their low quality and tendency to soil easily. Although the camera wasn't great, I managed to snap some blurry photos to share on Facebook, garnering a satisfying number of likes.

Recounting these memories is immensely enjoyable. It's remarkable how much the world has advanced since then. Nowadays, phones come equipped with front cameras, and taking selfies has become second nature to nearly everyone, regardless of age. It's a stark contrast to the hurdles we faced in the past just to capture a simple photograph. What an incredible era we live in.

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It's even more interesting how "big phones" are accessible by anyone in this era. Back then, people with good camera phones were seems as semi-gods.

Thanks!

This is my entry to the #aprilinleo prompt, Day 18.
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