Opinion: Selfie stick surprises

The stick is a monopod (a single stick version of a tripod) that you can slot your phone into for taking photos. The handle end can be screwed on to a regular tripod for extra tall shots too. The “selfie” part comes from the fact that you can hold the handle with your phone facing you, giving you the chance to take the perfect selfie with a much wider view.

It sounds like a stupid idea because, frankly, it’s incredibly dorky and self-involved. Holding a long stick in order to take a photo of yourself looks quite silly, but the results are too good to ignore.

Using the stick you’re able to get more background in the frame, or more people. You can also get angles that you wouldn’t normally be able to: like from very high up or down low. And if you’re travelling alone, the stick could be a safer, if somewhat ludicrous solution, to handing your phone over to a stranger.

The stick telescopes in and out and easily fits into most bags when packed away. You can find them at most camera shops, but maybe ask to look at the monopods rather than a “selfie stick”.

About the author:

Hadyn Green is a geek. He loves shiny new tech and the chance to try to break it. Because it's the kind of thing people ask, here is the tech Hadyn currently uses. Phone: Sony Z2 Tablet: iPad mini retina. Music player: Spotify. Headphones: Sony MDR-G55 (for walking because I hate earbuds) and Beats Studio noise-cancelling (for sitting at my desk and tuning out the world). E-Reader: Kindle Touch. Gaming: PS4, PS3, Xbox One and Xbox 360. Internet Service Provider: Snap.