I was on the bus a few weeks ago and was listening to a middle aged couple talk about the yoof of today and how awfully narcissistic my generation are. It's all selfies and social media. We only think about ourselves and how we're too busy being vain to be of any use to anyone. We validate our lives by how others perceive us.
It got me thinking. I've been taking pictures of my mug for the internet for the past seven years. Shamelessly posting it all over social media and writing about my favourite clothes and make up. Put a camera in front of me and I'll happily strike a pose - so long as I get to take 76563543 pictures so I can choose the most flattering. So why exactly do I post pictures of myself on the internet for everyone to see?
Of course it's nice to hear people tell you like they like your outfit you've spent a good hour deciding to wear and when you hit 50 likes on that cake you've spent a whole morning slaving over on Instagram. It does give you a warm fuzzy feeling inside. But this isn't how I validate my life. I promise.
I've always been the one to take lots of pictures even back in the days when it was cool to take a disposable camera out to a Saturday night out in a grimy, sticky-floored club. So why change the habit of a lifetime? I post pictures on my blog and social media because I love to keep an online diary of what I've been getting up to. It's so easy to forget those little moments in life as you get bogged down with the mundane. I scroll back through my Instagram and blog with a smile on my face, remembering all the dreamy holidays, fun days out with friends and ridiculous outfits I once thought looked stylish. It's a way of hoarding my memories.
So no, I wouldn't class myself as a narcissist. Where's my iPhone? I need to take a picture of my face thanks.
The way I see it, it's a good thing that people are celebrating their appearance and posting pictures on social media. Self love is important and we have grown up in an environment where people, especially young girls, are made to question the way they look to such an extent they develop eating disorders. Celebrating the way we look should be encouraged.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with Hannah's comment. I don't take as many pictures as I used to but I love that I have a record of my outfits to look back on and remember good memories and sometimes cringe at the 2010-2012 days. x
ReplyDeleteWell said. I too love to look back on old posts and recall times that I'd otherwise have forgotten. Plus taking loads of pics of myself and trawling through them totally helps to desensitise myself about my appearance. I know who I am and how I look - so many people don't. It is so important to get comfortable with who you are. xx
ReplyDelete