Do you take selfies? I was about three years too late to the selfie party. I never used to take them, thinking they were really lame and for "those people" who are obsessed with social media and themselves. Well then I took one. And let me tell you - there is something to this selfie thing! Take one - I dare you. It's liberating and slightly addicting. I don't remember the first selfie I took - but my guess is that it was one with my husband and I out on a date. I can never ask people to take our picture because my husband hates pictures. (I know, how do we get along?). So I thought, well what if I am the one taking the pic, taking out the asking the stranger problem and hopefully (oh fingers crossed!) taking out the Chandler Bingness that is my husbands face in a photo. (Do you know that reference? It's from Friends, obvy. Chandler could not take a good picture to save his life, despite being a really good looking guy. Uhm, my husband, god love him.)
Anywho - from that first selfie, which I guess was really a couplie (totally, made that up, but hey, it works); I was hooked. I know use the selfie to document my fitness workouts, time with kids and date nights out. Why? I don't know - I like taking pictures and it makes me feel good.
Let's explore the second "reason" I just mentioned; "It makes me feel good". There are many articles and studies (can we call it a "study" if it's on something as silly as a selfie?) out there that discuss whether or not selfies create egotistically minded narcissistic individuals or if they make one simply more confident and raise your selfie-worth, if you will. My unscientific, purely for RunLife blogging fun - says the later. Say cheese and bring on the confidence, baby.
So why does a picture of myself make me feel good? You know when you first moved into your house and you didn't like the wallpaper in your kitchen the older lady had in there before you? (True story...) But then you took the wallpaper off in the tiny bathroom and realized how much work it was? And after a while living in said kitchen you think, that isn't so bad - I can totally live with this, I may even like it. Well I feel like that with the selfie. I took a few and was like "not bad"... then you take more and get used to it and you think "I am looking good"...followed by "I am seriously doing a-ok"... followed by "I look good, I am posting this one." You have this one face and body to live in and work with, so work it and love it - and take a picture it'll last longer.
It should be mentioned (shouted?) that another reason selfies may build selfie-confidence is that we are not exactly posting naked pictures of ourselves. No, not that kind of naked, jeesh. But the kind of naked where we haven't "filtered" our picture with an app or instagram to make us look just a tad bit better than the naked version. I believe they call this "photoshopping" in the real world.
I am not for photoshopping the crap out of something;
Conversely, I am totally ok with a little brush of a filter or raise or lower of a color or light here and there. Just remember that when you see your friends pics - maybe they really do look that awesome - or maybe they just have a really awesome app. Point is, don't beat your selfie up about it - say they look good and move on - don't dwell or compare -it's only about yourselfie not them. Check it:
I go out in the world without make up on a lot of the time - I also go out in the world with make up on a lot of the time. I feel good with out makeup - I feel great with makeup. That's how I feel about photo apps and filters - it's just a little makeup. I am not ashamed of that - most of us like to look good and in turn feel good. I have no judgement or issues with someone doing what they want to feel good. Why would we want to block someone else the feeling of good? That's also exactly why I don't like the above mentioned "photoshopping the crap out of something" because it doesn't make people feel good. It makes people feel not good enough.
Have you seen Colbie Caillat's song and video, Try, floating around the social medias? It's great. Don't over analyze and say that is a judgement on women who do where makeup. (STOP judging in general, while we're at it.) Watch and realize that we can feel good in lots of ways, a little filtered, with makeup and without makeup.
Caillat's lyrics ask, "You don't have to try so hard / Cause I like you / Don't you like you?"; I answer; "Yes, I like me / Filter No Filter / All by my selfie".
Go take a selfie or ten - I dare you not to like it at least a little. And if you don't, stare at it like wallpaper 'till you do.
IG: @runliferunlove
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runliferunlove
From a Target ad earlier this year. Obviously a botched photoshop job but it does illustrate at least all the areas that were attempted/going to be photoshopped. If it weren't for this being so badly done - we and the young girls seeing it might not have even noticed the problem - therefore would have thought this girl was a real person instead of a graphically created person who does not exist off the computer screen.
Conversely, I am totally ok with a little brush of a filter or raise or lower of a color or light here and there. Just remember that when you see your friends pics - maybe they really do look that awesome - or maybe they just have a really awesome app. Point is, don't beat your selfie up about it - say they look good and move on - don't dwell or compare -it's only about yourselfie not them. Check it:
Pics on left are "#nofilter"... Right is with a pic app. Notice with the use of light I made myselfie a little tanner on the beach and with shadows and cropping to look a little stronger on a run. It makes me feel good - bad or building selfie-esteem?
Have you seen Colbie Caillat's song and video, Try, floating around the social medias? It's great. Don't over analyze and say that is a judgement on women who do where makeup. (STOP judging in general, while we're at it.) Watch and realize that we can feel good in lots of ways, a little filtered, with makeup and without makeup.
Caillat's lyrics ask, "You don't have to try so hard / Cause I like you / Don't you like you?"; I answer; "Yes, I like me / Filter No Filter / All by my selfie".
Go take a selfie or ten - I dare you not to like it at least a little. And if you don't, stare at it like wallpaper 'till you do.
IG: @runliferunlove
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runliferunlove
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