7 reasons you should stop laughing and embrace the selfie stick.

2014 was dubbed the year of the selfie. The word is even in the Oxford English Dictionary, selfies are here to stay.

And by Christmas, selfies became infinitely more popular as hoards of boys and girls (and men and women) received a very special present on December 25: a selfie stick. A metal and plastic contraption that allows you to take a photo of yourself and those next to you, that is in focus and doesn’t cut off heads. Basically a cheap knock-off of the go-go-gadget arm.

I was one of these women. I opened the present – a gag gift, mind you – from my brother and started to laugh.

Yes, I like a good selfie as much as the next self-obsessed member of generation Y. But I’ve been a selfie stick denier since the first time I saw a tourist pull one out in New York City a couple of years ago and laughed hysterically at how silly they looked.

I was like the rest of you. I’d laugh at them, cringe internally at the imminent end of humanity, shake my head at our society’s shameless vanity and swear I’d NEVER be caught holding the silver stick of social death.

Flash forward to today and I am begging family, friends, colleagues and strangers I pass in the street to get behind this incredible invention. You see, even the biggest selfie stick denier can change her mind.

And there are 7 reasons why I’ve changed my mind.

1. You can fit everyone into your selfies.

Well obviously.

But also – seriously. Aren’t you sick of cutting people out of group shots? My Christmas lunch table was festively long, which meant our photos would usually have been taken in two halves just to get everyone in. But the selfie stick made it possible to fit all 20 of us in frame. Even though most of us weren’t looking at the camera.

2. You can fit bridges and big tall buildings in your selfies without choosing to lose either half your face or the building altogether.

3. If you’re standing next to a smelly person who wants a selfie, you can use the length of the stick to force them to move away from you.

Useful for celebrities, obviously.

4. You just look better with a selfie stick.

The extra length means we can hide the fact that we stuffed up our winged eyeliner. And awkward facial expressions? They’re dead to us.

5. You don’t have to talk to people to get your photo taken.

I’ll never forget the beautiful photo opportunity I shared with a friend at the Sydney Harbour Bridge one day when we asked a man to take our photo. This is what we got back.

6. They’re incredibly useful for travelling.

You may look like a jerk and people will probably laugh at you, but when that camera snaps, you’ll get a bloody brilliant tourist shot. Screw the haters.

7. If you manage to get one, you won’t be alone.

The official Selfie Sticks have been sold out for months. There’s a few still around, but millions of people world wide have been snapping them up. Once people stop laughing at you and get in your selfie, they’ll be begging for a turn.