
Self(ie) Reflections
Claim This Podcastby Usha Raman
Podcast Overview
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">The podcast series Self(ie) Reflections serves as an intellectual companion to the research project <strong>Digital Expressions of the Self(ie): The Social Life of Selfies in India</strong>. Over four episodes, the series deconstructs the selfie as an iterative, performative practice that reshapes the relationship between identity, space, and power.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight:400;">From the "insta-worthy" cafes of Kolkata to the TikTok hotspots of Delhi's ruins, the podcast highlights how digital performance allows individuals to reclaim physical space and negotiate visibility. It contrasts the hyper-visible "attitude" videos of Delhi’s working-class youth with the curated "performing objects" of Bookstagram and Inktober, where personal identity is expressed through the curation of tea, books, and art rather than the face.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight:400;">The series also confronts the darker side of digital culture: datafication and surveillance. In the final panel, researchers discuss the "afterlife" of the selfie, noting how AI and algorithmic curation transform personal expressions into data points for institutional harvesting. By examining the labor, ethics, and aesthetics of selfie-making, Spark provides a critical look at how Indians navigate the digital age, arguing that the selfie is a vital tool for self-making that must be balanced against the growing reach of algorithmic governance.<br /></span><span style="font-weight:400;">We bring the research to life through the voices of the people who shaped it—from professors and researchers </span><span style="font-weight:400;">Avishek Ray</span><span style="font-weight:400;">, </span><span style="font-weight:400;">Ethiraj Gabriel Dattatreyan</span><span style="font-weight:400;">, </span><span style="font-weight:400;">Usha Raman</span><span style="font-weight:400;">, </span><span style="font-weight:400;">Martin Web</span><span style="font-weight:400;">, </span><span style="font-weight:400;">Neha Gupta</span><span style="font-weight:400;">, </span><span style="font-weight:400;">Sai Amulya Komarraju</span><span style="font-weight:400;">, </span><span style="font-weight:400;">Anuja Premika</span><span style="font-weight:400;">, </span><span style="font-weight:400;">Riad Azam</span><span style="font-weight:400;">, </span><span style="font-weight:400;">Farhat Salim</span><span style="font-weight:400;">, </span><span style="font-weight:400;">Pranavesh Subramanian</span><span style="font-weight:400;"> and influencers and artists, Kajree Gautam, Mom Mitra and Delwyn Remedios.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight:400;">It’s time to look closer at the backdrops of our lives. This is </span><span style="font-weight:400;">Self(ie) Reflections</span><span style="font-weight:400;">. Subscribe now on your favorite podcast platform.</span></p>
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
4/3/2026
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Recent Episodes

April 8, 2026
The Afterlife of the Selfie: AI, Datafication, and the Future of Identity
In the finale of Self(ie) Reflections, Chhavi Sachdev joins Sai Amulya Komarraju, Avishek Ray, Neha Gupta, and Usha Raman to discuss the "afterlife" of the selfie. They examine how selfies have evolved into digital infrastructure and tools for governance plus and the tension between using selfies to subvert norms and feeding a "network capitalism" that harvests data for surveillance. As our faces become data, who truly owns our digital existence?

April 7, 2026
Beyond the Selfie: Identity and the Performing Object on Instagram
In Episode 3, researchers Usha Raman and Anuja Premika examine digital self-presentation beyond the "selfie." Through the stories of #Bookstagrammer Kajree Gautam and illustrator Delwyn, the duo explores the "performing object." From curated book aesthetics to illustrations of parenting, they show how objects and art function as powerful tools for identity performance and personal branding within social media subcultures. If our objects speak for us, who are we really projecting?

April 7, 2026
The Digital Double: Performance, Technology, and the Selfie Subtitle:
In Episode 2, Ethiraj Gabriel Dattatreyan and Pravanesh Subramanian explore the "digital double"—the algorithmic persona shaped by our online life. Using Goffman’s "staged performativity," they analyze how platform architecture dictates our self-presentation to both humans and AI. Selfies are now data points in an "image ecology" used for machine learning & surveillance. As generative AI untethers the self from reality, who truly controls our identities in this automated age?
5 total episodes available
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Frequently asked questions
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- What is Self(ie) Reflections?
<p><span style="font-weight:400;">The podcast series Self(ie) Reflections serves as an intellectual companion to the research project <strong>Digital Expressions of the Self(ie): The Social Life of Selfies in India</strong>. Over four episodes, the series deconstructs the selfie as an iterative, performative practice that reshapes the relationship between identity, space, and power.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight:400;">From the "insta-worthy" cafes of Kolkata to the TikTok hotspots of Delhi's ruins, the podcast highlights how digital performance allows individuals to reclaim physical space and negotiate visibility. It contrasts the hyper-visible "attitude" videos of Delhi’s working-class youth with the curated "performing objects" of Bookstagram and Inktober, where personal identity is expressed through the curation of tea, books, and art rather than the face.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight:400;">The series also confronts the darker side of digital culture: datafication and surveillance. In the final panel, researchers discuss the "afterlife" of the selfie, noting how AI and algorithmic curation transform personal expressions into data points for institutional harvesting. By examining the labor, ethics, and aesthetics of selfie-making, Spark provides a critical look at how Indians navigate the digital age, arguing that the selfie is a vital tool for self-making that must be balanced against the growing reach of algorithmic governance.<br /></span><span style="font-weight:400;">We bring the research to life through the voices of the people who shaped it—from professors and researchers </span><span style="font-weight:400;">Avishek Ray</span><span style="font-weight:400;">, </span><span style="font-weight:400;">Ethiraj Gabriel Dattatreyan</span><span style="font-weight:400;">, </span><span style="font-weight:400;">Usha Raman</span><span style="font-weight:400;">, </span><span style="font-weight:400;">Martin Web</span><span style="font-weight:400;">, </span><span style="font-weight:400;">Neha Gupta</span><span style="font-weight:400;">, </span><span style="font-weight:400;">Sai Amulya Komarraju</span><span style="font-weight:400;">, </span><span style="font-weight:400;">Anuja Premika</span><span style="font-weight:400;">, </span><span style="font-weight:400;">Riad Azam</span><span style="font-weight:400;">, </span><span style="font-weight:400;">Farhat Salim</span><span style="font-weight:400;">, </span><span style="font-weight:400;">Pranavesh Subramanian</span><span style="font-weight:400;"> and influencers and artists, Kajree Gautam, Mom Mitra and Delwyn Remedios.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight:400;">It’s time to look closer at the backdrops of our lives. This is </span><span style="font-weight:400;">Self(ie) Reflections</span><span style="font-weight:400;">. Subscribe now on your favorite podcast platform.</span></p> - How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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