You can’t deny that the selfie has become very popular. In fact, it was the Oxford Dictionary’s word of the year for 2013. In the same year, we saw the Obamas and even the Pope join the fad.

Selfies are easy to take when it is just yourself or maybe a couple of your friends, but it is very difficult with groups of four or more. Until recently, to make a group selfie you needed freakishly long arms or very small friends. Otherwise, somebody gets left out. But now, thanks to a new invention from Indonesia, the selfie is not just for yourself.

The invention is called the monopod or the selfie stick and it was developed by a young woman by the name of Diana Hemas Sari. The selfie stick is an extendable metal wand that has a plastic handle at the end with a clip to hold a smartphone. It has become wildly popular among young people in her native Indonesia and several other countries in southeast Asia and is spreading fast. You should expect to see it in your area soon.

What do you think? Would you rather ask someone to take your picture or just pull out your selfie stick?