“Ugh I hate when girls take tons of selfies.”
“We need to stop this #selfie craze.”
“If you post tons of selfies then you’re conceited #sorrynotsorry”
“Selfies are the reason why our generation sucks.”
If you partake in social media, you’ve probably heard sentiments along these lines. The selfie existed before the word was coined (think: MySpace pics taken from above with your digital camera) and no one seemed to pay a lot of mind to them. But, as our society increasingly gets behind the idea of #selfie and the vast expanse of social media territory makes it easy to share these impromptu self-portraits, naysayers and critics increasingly emerge from the depths of Twitter to voice their opinions. What is wrong with taking selfies? Is there even something wrong with it?
No. And we need to stop being so negative about them. Selfies are actually very empowering, especially for women. What better way to let the world know that you know you’re beautiful than to snap a pic and post it to Instagram? There’s nothing wrong with being confident in your appearance and wanting to share it with the world. Many people don’t do it for “likes” or to get followers. Most of the time, it’s about feeling good about yourself, regardless of how many of your followers “like” it.
In an age where women are feeling more and more empowered, the selfie threatens our society’s ideas about women and confidence. We are not basing our confidence on what others think of us but rather on our own views of ourselves. When confidence comes from within, it is a sign that we don’t need anyone else to help define our worth. We don’t need the approval of other women nor the approval of men. And this is a good thing. And fellas, I am also a huge proponent of the male selfie, which gets just as much, if not more, hate from people. Selfies are for everyone, regardless of your gender identity.
Of course, there are some exceptions and there is such a thing as TMI but these are for your own safety. As a rule, don’t post anything you’d be uncomfortable to show to your grandma, your child, or an employer. So go forth and take selfies, friends, and don’t let anyone tell you to stop. You ARE beautiful and don’t let anyone shame you into hiding it!