I unapologetically adore selfies. Not necessarily my own, since I don’t take very many – I’m still working on finding my angles and am too narcissistic to share bad ones – but I love when I see a friend’s picture. It’s like they’re saying “Hey! I think I look pretty cute right now! Everyone should see how cute I am!” That sounds sarcastic, but it’s not. I like when people feel good about themselves.
When people talk about selfies, they usually include thoughts on how it’s synonymous with my generation’s self-obsession and desperation for attention. For those who think it’s self-obsession, I’d like to kindly remind them that the rich of generations past would literally sit down in their fanciest clothes, surround themselves with their possessions, and sit there for hours while paying someone to capture their image, often with their features softened like some sort of photoshop from antiquity. Self-obsession is not unique to the newer generations. And for those who think it’s desperation for attention, the kids taking selfies aren’t the ones writing long think pieces about how selfies are destroying the very foundation America stands on – how’s that for some sort of desperate grasp for recognition?
For all kids, but girls, in particular, society can be oppressive in terms of defining beauty: clear white skin, blue eyes, perfect hair, pristine physique. If someone can look at those absurd standards and say “screw it, I’m cute as hell. Everyone look at this picture of my face,” then, I have nothing but congratulations to offer them.
Apparently all selfies, no matter the caption, are looking for attention:
“Guys, this picture isn’t that good, my face looks so fat. “ Oh my God, she’s just fishing for compliments, I can’t believe what an attention-whore she is.
“Thought I looked cute today!” Oh my God, she’s so self-centered and vain.
Of course, some people who take selfies are completely self-obsessed. I’d be silly to deny that. But the possibility of having healthy, high self-esteem is something that’s being erased. Everyone is either pathetic for having no self-esteem, or the most narcissistic person on Earth. The very possibility of loving yourself the appropriate amount seems to be a foreign concept.
As time goes on, selfies have become more acceptable. Hell, even my grandparents have taken selfies at this point, and they don’t even know what Instagram is. But there’s still the undercurrent of cultural snobby and societal pretentiousness that causes some bitter article to get traction a couple of times a year. Whenever I see such an article, it takes all my self control not to just sink into the floor while letting out a hair-splitting shriek. Selfies? Selfies are the death of culture? Really?
If selfies are your biggest issue, you should either stop complaining because things aren’t that bad or open your eyes, because there are very real things that are much worse.
