Hi. Hello. How ya goin’?? Yes, you. Let’s take a moment to chat about something that seems to constantly pop up in our newsfeeds on Facebook, Instagram, or even directly to us via snap chat on our phones?
It’s now even a topic in the more global media aspects of the world; certain aspects of this matter have become the most viral of sorts. Know what I’m talking about yet?
Sure you do. You’ve probably done it. I’ve certainly done it.
It’s the selfie.
I am an on and off offender of uploading selfies to Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. But why is that something I should be ashamed of?
The answer is, it isn’t.
There is a pattern of negative stigma that is given off by people who don’t understand or choose to ignore the positive aspects of why people do things they don’t understand. I may not be a selfie-a-day kinda gal, but I sure do appreciate when someone uploads a selfie of themselves to social media. It illustrates their confidence, their beauty and their self-love and appreciation. These are all characteristics that the world is definitely lacking in at the moment and we should be encouraging younger people to show off their assets (g-rated of course) on their media platforms if it means they are a happier version of themselves.
Of course I understand the concerns surrounding bullying on social media sites, and uploading things that aren’t necessarily appropriate for certain age groups on certain sites, but we all learn some how and awareness and education on social media sites should be something that is done in the early stages of high school to eradicate these negative stigmas.
Selfies have become a worldwide frenzy and have empowered hundreds of people to spread self-awareness on many different matters from all around the world. I have personally shared selfies to promote the awareness of mental health issues and have only received incredible amounts of encouragement and support for doing so which has really empowered me and the issue I was hoping to raise awareness for.
Selfies have been used to compare the issues we experience being in a first world country compared to those who live in third world countries by making emphasis on the way of life and the things we have in life that we think are necessities compared to the bare minimum that third world countries live with to get them by.
I personally think that the ridicule we receive as being a part of our highly technological and social media based generation is degrading to our sense of being. We get told that we are missing out on the best things in life because we spend too much time on our phones, that we are lacking in communication skills because we text instead of call. Maybe we are simply learning the skills necessary for our futures, the futures that we are going to run.The futures that are going to be sold by self-portraits, and the way we promote ourselves on our social media sites.
The judgement of selfies does not come from our generation, our judgement has been taught and encouraged upon us by our parental generation because they fail to understand that our childhoods were obviously different to theirs, simply because we were fortunate enough to be at the hands of the most current technologies.
It’s being told these things that causes the strain and pressure of our already messed up attempt at juggling our studies, our career/job, exercise and health and our social life. Our generation is just that. OUR GENERATION.
We have been raised in the most influential time ever and we are embracing it, whether our parents and grandparents see it that way or not.
I shouldn’t be made to feel guilty for spending an hour or two a day scrolling through social media when it was made to be enjoyed and embraced by our generation and nor should you. It’s the way of our future, and I think that selfies should be encouraged if it means we are building a more sound, confident, beautiful and emboldening generation of young men and young ladies.
Embrace, and be bold.
Sasha Hall 