Do you know how the Selfie Stick or Selfie Pole came about? Who invented this ingenuity that is so popular today? In this article, we will talk about the true story of the selfie stick that few people know.
It is an extending rod used to take selfie photos with a wider angle of coverage. Although it became a very popular resource starting in 2014, when did it really emerge?
An American claims to be the inventor of the famous “selfie stick” about 10 years ago, but it has been discovered that this accessory has existed for more than 20 years or even centuries, where it was initially invented in Japan and considered a useless invention.
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The True Origin of the Selfie Stick
In early 2015, the user @_tessr posted a photo of a book published in 1995 that showed “101 useless Japanese inventions.” In this book, we find a selfie stick long before it became popular.
Originally called “Extender” (エクステンダー), the first selfie stick was launched by Minolta in 1983. It was part of a kit sold specifically for taking self-portraits, which included a trigger button at the end.
The description says “camera on a stick for self-portraits” invites users to take the photo without the need for help, especially on trips where it becomes awkward to ask a stranger to take a photograph.


Why Was the Selfie Stick Useless?
Why did this invention not succeed at the time the Japanese created it? It is not certain, but it was probably due to the lack of a front screen, the need for development, and other factors that made the selfie stick impractical.
Nowadays, there are still people who consider the selfie stick a useless invention. In fact, the selfie stick is losing its space thanks to better front cameras than rear ones, with a wide angle.
So was the selfie stick really made by a Japanese? This is uncertain; it is difficult to identify the true creator, as there are some suspicious photos from 1925 that appear to show someone using a selfie stick.
Unfortunately, there is no way to know, but someone in the past probably tried to tie a camera to a stick to take photos. Now it is difficult for someone to sue another for plagiarism, and generate a new useless legal battle.
Despite this, I believe that the Japanese was the first to create a complete version with a photo-taking button attached. Just as the Japanese at the time considered this invention useless. Do you find it useful? Why has it become so popular now?


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