Selfies. We’ve all seen them all over our various social media platforms. And if you’re anything like me, your camera roll is probably at least 80% selfie. Selfies have become an everyday thing in our lives, and we don’t even really focus on the fact that we see so many of them. However, that cannot be said for everyone.

There are countless articles I have come across about Millenials and our penchant for taking and posting selfies. These articles think that our love of selfies makes us self-centered and narcissistic. They think we don’t care about anything other than what we look like. I, on the other hand, see selfies as something completely different.

We live in a society that tells us if we don’t look a certain way, we’re not pretty or worthy. Though this view is slowly shifting, what with plus size models coming to the forefront of ads, Aerie’s refusal to photoshop their models, and more racially inclusive modeling, we are still a long way from being perfect. So what are we supposed to do to combat society’s views on beauty? Enter selfies.

The way I see it, selfies are a way for people to reclaim their beauty, to let the world know that they are beautiful no matter what society thinks, and that is something we really need. With thousands of girls and boys alike growing up hating their body and their looks because they don’t fit in with what society deems acceptable, selfies are a way to fight that. If you are feeling particularly good about yourself, you can take a selfie and let the world know that you’re feeling yourself. And if you were to take a selfie and post it, you should not be ridiculed for doing so.

Sure, some of us may take a lot of selfies (I myself am guilty of taking an unreal amount), but that does not make us narcissistic or self-centered. Selfies can be a way to combat low self-esteem by showing the world that you think you are beautiful, that you really enjoy the way you look, and no one can take that from you. You should be able to take and post as many selfies as your heart desires. It does not make you self-centered or narcissistic in the least. Selfies just let you take control of how you are presented to society and how you view yourself.

So go out there and keep taking your selfies. Keep posting them to as many social media platforms as you so wish. You should be able to take control of how the world views you, and selfies are the perfect way to do so. Ignore the articles you see condemning our generation for our selfies. If selfies make us narcissistic and self-centered, what does that mean for the people hundreds of years ago who sat for hours just to get a portrait of themselves painted to hang in an entryway? If they weren’t seen as narcissistic, I don’t see why taking five seconds to take a nice selfie makes me narcissistic.