In this day in age, it's impossible to scroll through any social media platform without being bombarded with all kinds of selfies from people of all ages and genders. Even if they don't want to admit it, everybody has taken a selfie at some point in their lives. Heck, Oxford Dictionary even made "selfie" 2013's Word of the Year. It's a phenomenon that has been imprinted on our generation, making it a marker for this decade. So take as many selfies as you want, and whenever you want. Whether it be a major life event like graduating high school or something as simple as "I really like how I look today", there's always a reason to take a selfie.
We live in a society where the media markets off of women's insecurities to make money and sell products. If you take a quick look in any fashion magazine you can find plenty of articles and how-tos on why your body is imperfect and your appearance is somehow not good enough, almost as if they've implanted in our minds that loving yourself is practically a sin. But when you have your iPhone in your hand and you're snapping pictures of yourself looking and feeling your best, you are truly loving yourself for who you are and nothing else. There is absolutely nothing wrong with saying "Hey, I love the way I look today!" This is why it's important to take selfies.
From a very young age, girls are taught that the only way we can feel good about ourselves is through the approval of other people, especially men. We are told that how we act, what were wear and even how we talk is to please men when in reality everything we do is for ourselves in no one else. Taking selfies and posting them makes us feel great about ourselves, without any influence besides a pure love for oneself is something that our generation needs.
What I think is really special about selfies is that it's a keepsake of just you. Our parents and grandparents show us pictures of them at weddings and family parties but we'll be able to show our children pictures of us on just an average day, feeling good. We often think we need a reason to be proud or to talk about ourselves, but celebrate yourself! Celebrating doing absolutely nothing but being yourself is so important, and sometimes we get so caught up in what everybody else is doing we forget that what we're doing is just fine.
So now that you're done reading this, go ahead! Do your hair up nice, throw on some lipstick and start snapping some pics and don't stop until you feel like you've firmly established that you are indeed, the cutest.
