Wu Chang-o (director of the Commission of Taipei Juvenile Guidance):
Social habits and the impact of the media are both factors in creating this youth subculture. The "Demi Moore fever" in the United States (when pregnant actress Demi Moore's nude photo was used as the cover of Vanity Fair magazine), and the case of the Japanese girl Miyazawa Ri becoming famous by baring all in a "real me" album, are both cases of creating trends.
The current rage for shooting "personal real me albums" is part of the process of growing up, a subculture developed out of "self-obsession" or "idol worship." Since this trend is not offensive, I can't see any negative function. From another angle, the girls understand how to express themselves, and look after their external appearance; in the long term, this could be helpful to interpersonal relations, and that's of positive help!
Lin Hsien-tsung (chairman of the Department of Sociology at National Chengchi University):
The popularity of shooting personal albums among young people is closely related to the transformation of society. With social modernization, the social value system is more and more pluralized, and personal restraints are decreased. Households are moving away from the past "authoritarian family" to "loving households," and parents and children are seeking a fairer distribution of power. In this environment, naturally some "youth culture" appears which challenges adult culture.
In this pursuit of self and idol worship in the period of "restless youth," even nude photos aren't strange, and aren't really anything to be worried about. This is just a way to turn uneasiness into something beautiful. It's certainly a lot better than drag racing or taking drugs.
Gazing in thought out the window--graduation photos are getting into a "salon" phase. This is the currently most popular "neo-classical coffee atmosphere" technique. (photo courtesy of the Lao Erh Photo Studios)