Everywhere I turn I see people people taking selfies. There are two main kinds of selfie takers; the unashamed, and the unpracticed. The social voyeur and the photographer in me both feel the need to discuss how the selfie works. Let's walk through it in 8 very simple steps:

Always shoot from a high angle to obscure the second chin you didn't know you were developing with age and indulgence. When shooting from low angles it juts out like a beer belly and shadows get like a 90-lb lab squeezing through a chihuahua's doggie door.
Elongate your form so you look thinner than you really are. Especially elongate the midsection because it is easier than keeping an even complexion while sucking in your gut and holding your breath. Also, sucking in your gut means you'll be panting after taking a selfie and that is not good form.
Smile and tilt your head up and over to show the "good side" of your face because you are convinced there is one. Never mind that the right person likes ALL of your face because it's yours and perfect. You know better.
Extend the arm waaaaaaaay out, but curl the elbow so it doesn't show up in the picture like a weird albino snake. If you're ready for some advanced moves, try the three-fingered parrot claw pinch grip to hold the phone between two fingers and keep the third available for the shutter...even though it will miss. Worst case scenario, you've got a protective case on that snazzy, fragile, new phone, right?
Snap a photo. Now snap another one. By the way, when I say "one", I mean one set. For reference, one set is equal to approximately 93 images (metric). Two sets is bound to have a photo that is okay enough for Step 6.
FILTERS!!! Yeah, I don't care what anyone says, my favorite humans over the age of 12 have kitten ears and look like they are airbrushed on a t-shirt at the local mall kiosk. Sure you might look like you were at the cos-play opera, but that's still the opera.
When all else fails, make it sexy. Undo that extra button, pout your lips, suck in your cheeks as though you're imploding. It's going to hide the fact your face is wonky as all get-out.
Still not working? Find a prop that people will like regardless. These props include: a baby, a puppy, a grumpy cat, the hand of the person walking away from you, a cup of coffee, a salad...whatever. The point here is that you want to distract people from looking at you, but you don't want it bad enough that you'll skip the selfie.

Some of you might be wondering how to find the perfect background for your selfie? The truth is that in order for a selfie to be really fresh, you either need a gorgeous background that is at least 96% covered by your head, or a famous person looking homeless as they are quickly trying to run an errand. The only real thing to avoid is taking a selfie with the phone pointed back toward the sun or a highly reflective surface when you have decided to dress nicely only from the waist up.

Best of luck.