Selfies; you either love them or hate them. Between Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, etc., they are everywhere. The word coined back in the early 2000s has transformed the way we take pictures today. There’s even a popular song written about the selfie. Although some people don’t enjoy taking selfies, I think we need to take a moment to appreciate the selfie culture.
Everyone knows that a selfie is a picture you take of yourself. Whether it’s serious, silly, or smiling there is a wide range of different types. The selfie culture should be seen as a positive impact on our society. A selfie celebrates who you are and embraces all your features. Taking pictures of yourself highlights that you are beautiful and unique in your own way. If someone likes to post a lot of selfies on social media, by all means let them. Don’t shame them because they appreciate their features. They want to show off their appearance and they are proud of who they are. If taking a selfie makes you feel good, no one should hate on that. It is important to note that no one looks alike and everyone has something extraordinary about them.
Some people may think posting selfies encourages narcissism, but really, selfies should be seen as a form of expression or even be considered as an art.
In an article by npr.org, they highlight a digital artist, named Molly Soda, who sees selfies as an exploratory art form. Soda takes unconventional alternative selfies to recreate the idea of the self-portrait. In the same article, she explains a selfie in this quote, “I think a selfie is a really, really positive thing, whether or not its art, it's super positive affirmation of self-love. And taking your photo and putting it on the Internet for the world to see is an act of positivity.” I think this sentence speaks volumes and embodies why we should all promote the selfie culture.Selfies can also boost your confidence. I know when I feel good about myself I like to take a picture because I feel confident and like the way I look. When people post selfies on social media it can almost be like a chain reaction. For example, a friend posts a selfie looking and feeling confident, it might prompt their followers to also post a selfie and it reinforce positivity among others. Selfies don’t necessarily have to be taken of just you either. I take tons of selfies with all of my friends to celebrate the moment. Pictures are taken to make memories and are meant to capture the good times. Wouldn’t you want to capture all the times you feel confident? You only have one you, so love every part of it. And if you’ve made it this far, I encourage everyone to go out and take a selfie because it’s important to love yourself.
