I admit that I've taken the odd selfie... Usually they involve wine or another alcoholic beverage.
To me social media is more about being heard than about being seen. I'll use Twitter and Facebook to share things that are important to me, to bring up things I think people should know about. That said, there's definitely a culture of entitlement here, especially among people even younger than myself. Some kids seem to value their entire existence on how many likes they can get on Facebook, and that's sad. And of course people want validation. We're pack animals, so it's only natural that we want to know that we take up a valued space in our community/circle/group of friends. But the extent to which some people will get upset or feel depressed if they don't get the attention they seek I think brings up an alarming reality with regards to the younger generations.
While some of it has simply grown out of technology and social media, I also think that school systems can be partly to blame. I'm all for positive reinforcement myself, but I think that this culture of participation trophies, show and tell, rewards for simply being present gives kids the wrong message at the same time as constant guidance, safety regulations and what-not teaches them to be codependent rather than trusting in their own judgment. That's no way to build confidence. Instead it breeds insecurity when the real world fails to provide the same kind of positive reinforcement and guidance.