Thanks to social media, people can share their favorite photos, gain tons of followers and receive comments from people all over the world. But also due to social media, some people have become obsessive about that singular picture their debating on posting, they take pride in the amount of followers they have or are ashamed of the number of followers that they don’t have, and millions of people are harassed in the comment section of social media every day. When did society become so addicted to its image that our we became engulfed in the world of technology, social media and the media itself?

I’m not writing this just to complain about social media the whole time. I’ll be honest, I love using Instagram and snapchat, and I’d be a huge liar if I said I didn’t. What I really wanted to address in this speech is the obsession people have with their image and the appearance of the people surrounding them. A person’s addiction to social media can be directly connected to their obsession of their image. Of course image is important if you have something like a job interview or a first date, but at what point can it be decided that a person’s life is being controlled by their image?

A question I’d like to ask you is, "how obsessed are you with your image?" On a scale from one to ten (one meaning you are confident in yourself and love yourself as a person and could not care less about what others have to say about you, and 10 meaning you constantly worry if other people like and accept you), how much do you care about what others think of you? If you are at the far left of the scale (this being around a one) then wow! You are truly living your life and have the confidence everyone dreams of. And if you are on the far right (this would be close to a 10) then please pay attention to every word I wrote, and hopefully I'll be able to open your eyes to a new perspective on life.

Remember when we were all little and we didn’t have this thing called “lack of” self confidence? Most little kids radiate immense self confidence and complete acceptance of others. Kids possess the innocence that many people my age and older have lost. If you believe that you’re someone who has lost the innocence of a child than I’d like you take this time and think back to when it all began. Was there a specific moment in your life that changed your opinion of yourself? Could it have been a bully that tormented you at some point, the images you began seeing that covered all of social media, or that moment when all of your friends anonymously decided that you had to look a certain way in order to “fit in”?

Whatever your specific reason is, there is some point in a person’s life where they began to care about what they wear, what their hair looks like, and they care about every single word they say. But even if you have lost some of the confidence you had as a child, who says it can’t be regained? By writing this article, I hope to open the eyes of at least one person and that they go on with their day with a different mindset and their head held a little higher.

I’m sure we’ve all heard the saying “It’s what’s on the inside that counts” and as cheesy as that may sound to you, I think that this quote couldn’t be more true. I strongly believe that a personality can be the most beautiful thing in a person. I believe that every single person needs to stop judging others on their appearances, their “so-called” reputations, and even the “vibes” a person might think they are getting from someone else. People in this world need to realize that you can’t judge a person before you even get to know who that person truly is. Once people become more accepting of each other and less judgmental, the self confidence of others will go through the roof.

Unfortunately, I can’t promise you that the judgmental people of the world can be completely stopped, so for the time being, learn to love yourself and every aspect about who you are as a person. Wear what makes you happy, hang out with the people who enjoy your company, learn about the things you’re interested in and be kind to people always.

The next time you’re out in public or walking through the hallway in school and you pass by someone, don’t focus on the clothes that person is wearing, the color of their hair, how many friends they have with them, the amount of makeup they’re wearing or aren’t wearing, their size, the color of their skin or the rumors you’ve previously heard about that person. Instead give that person a simple smile, and maybe even a “hey!” Begin to enjoy humanity as a whole and realize how beautiful it is that we’re all so different and that each person you walk by has a unique life that’s as complex and delicate as your own. The moment people stop the harsh judgement and stop spreading hate is when everyone will be able to start loving themselves in a whole new way — this I believe.