Duckfaces of the world unite, the selfie epidemic is upon us.

The word ‘selfie’ was officially been named Oxford Dictionary’s word of the year, being defined as: a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website.

Better known as “a photograph where people transform their faces using various editing apps.” But c’mon, not everyone can look like a sepia filter.

The word usually comes with an immediate “ugh” and an annoyed eye roll, as this YOLO-generation’s concept of self-expression has become defined as narcissistic and superficial.

But there is nothing to feel ashamed about.

Selfies are an Art.

They require a distinct skill; perfected timing. A well self-taken photo requires up to at least 10 shots to make instagram-worthy, especially for a rookie. But in the end it’s completely worth it.

And as the selfie culture grows, teens quickly adapt to the process of capturing an Instagram-worthy photo. Some even do it with their eyes closed, creating an “I’m ‘pretending to sleep” selfie.

But the best thing about selfies is that anyone can do it, even your mom.

To get the best shot, just hold the camera at a high angle, so eyes appear larger and more colorful and cheekbones become much more defined, similar to Barbie. Position the thumb over the button, turn to the best side and click. And don’t forget that filter to ensure those 100 likes.

In the blink of an eye, selfies can also turn into a dangerous weapon. Teens must take caution before every snap of the camera.

It can become an addiction, an unhealthy guilty pleasure leading teens to fill up photo galleries with hundreds of front-camera selfies. From the “look how hot I am in the bathroom” selfie to the “I’m standing in front of something interesting” selfie, teens become sucked into a portal of never ending photos.

Posting more than one selfie a day on Instagram is an absolute no-no in the selfie rulebook. It can make someone look too self-centered.

But think about it, almost everyone has posted at least one selfie in their social media history and there is nothing to be ashamed about. When scrolling down Instagram, teens don’t want to see pictures of trees, the sky, food or dogs. No, they want to see pictures of people’s faces.

From selfies with Beyonce at her concert, to selfies with the Pope, to even selfies at funerals, 2013 was full of them. And this generation couldn’t be more proud.

Face it, selfies are like Miley Cyrus, they can’t stop. Ever.

(I want to make clear that I’m being sarcastic and find too many selfies highly annoying unless it’s for snapchat, then it’s completely fine.)