They are taking over Twitter timelines and invading Instagram feeds. Over the past year, selfies have exploded in social media. So much, in fact, that the word “selfie” was recently named the 2013 Word of the Year by Oxford Dictionary.

According to Oxford, a selfie is defined as a photograph taken by oneself that is typically uploaded to a social media website. Although it has only become popular within the last year, Oxford claims that the first known use of the word dates back to Sept. 13, 2002 in an Australian online forum.

“Um, drunk at a mates 21st, I tripped over and landed lip first (with front teeth coming a very close second) on a set of steps,” the online post said. “I had a hole about one centimeter long right through my bottom lip. And sorry about the focus, it was a selfie.”

From there, the term began spreading through social sites such as Flickr and MySpace. By 2012, selfies had made their way onto Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Sophomore Gretchen Gambill said she posts a selfie about every two weeks, but sees at least five a day on social media.

“[I post selfies] so people know what I look like and I’m not just an anonymous internet user,” Gambill said. “I do it so when people see my account they say, ‘Oh, I know who that is.’”

Although selfies are most commonly posted as self-portraits on social media, many teens also use them for alternative purposes, such as taking pictures with friends and pets or using apps like Snapchat.

Junior Becca Dixon is among those who like using selfies for more creative purposes. Dixon has made a hobby of taking selfies with unsuspecting students. She calls it “selfies with strangers.”

“[I do it] to make other people laugh and because it keeps me entertained to see each person react differently,” Dixon said.

Gambill has taken similar selfies, such as ones with art teacher Jerry Howard in the background.

“Everyone found the one I took with Mr. Howard pretty funny,” Gambill said. “I was honestly just trying to mess with him during musical practice.”

Despite their popularity, Dixon does not believe that the word “selfie” is worthy of being Word of the Year.

“I don’t think it should have been put in the dictionary,” Dixon said. “It doesn’t really apply to everyone. It’s only popular because of teenagers.”