Selfies could be healthier than we think
Kathryn Yslas
Mesa Legend
Apparently, the world will end not with a bang nor with a whimper, but the snap of your iPhone’s camera. At least, that’s how people seem to feel about millennials taking selfies. Whether it’s to show off an exotic vacation spot, a new outfit, or just because it’s Monday, young people (and some older folks as well), have been looking for any excuse to take a picture of themselves and post it online. And like with any new cultural trend, the older crowd is heralding it as the “fall of civilization.” Selfies have been deemed the vapid pastime of sorority girls and the clear evidence of millennial narcissism, but let me instead use a different filter on this ugly snapshot of “selfie culture”.
Up until the advent of the front facing camera, there was always someone else taking our picture.
Our ancestors sat for painted portraits, our grandparents went to professional photographers, and our parents asked a friend to hold their Kodak. This is the first time in our history where we are able to easily photograph ourselves. Thus, we are able to choose exactly how we are visually represented to our peers. A millennial’s quest for the perfect selfie, choosing the proper light, outfit, pose; it’s all a matter of agency. And when selfies are shared online, there is the potential to cultivate a new standard of beauty, one that values self-love and acceptance. In the past, fashion magazines have been responsible for defining what is beautiful, what clothes were cool, and how our bodies should look. In the age of selfies, however, all of that changes.
Instead of one style or body type being glorified, selfies taken by people of all shapes and aesthetics flood social media, allowing everyone a chance to be celebrated. The etiquette of when and where taking selfies is appropriate, however, is still a valid point of contention. While taking selfies while driving or on the job might not be a good idea, selfies are still a great opportunity for people to share their experiences and identity with others. Rather than an example of those vain millennials, selfies are proof of a generation that wishes to define itself on its own terms.
