As previously mentioned, while a fraction of my brain was consumed in thoughts pertaining to how it is alright to be self-aborbed and a little self-obsessed perhaps, as long as you cherish yourself. There was another part of my brain that was considering a possibility stemmed out of selfies.
Appreciating and ackowledging one’s worth is necessary and should that be in the form of pictures or as is colloquial, in the form of selfies, then so be it. In fact, as recent as the official term selfies may be, the concept of selfies is not an old one. With the advent of social media and its expansion in terms of the people it affects, selfies are a rage. These are almost indispensable.
When one reflects a little deeper on it, one wonders if this rage to generate a good percption of oneself is an indication of self-obsession or that of something else? Seemingly, clicking pictures and posting them continually showcases vanity but if you take a closer look, it may not be so. Encased in the sheath of outward conceit and vanity is our actual intention which is to please others and satiate our ego by flattery. Although unconscious most of the times, we are actually dependent on some other person’s opinions of us. Likes and comments make us feel good about ourselves and though by no means is it wrong, it is a slightly contorted means by which to amplify our worth of self based on the compliments of others. So are we all catering to our self-obsession or are we, in actuality, putting up a veil of narcissism while seeking for approval and acceptance?
As sad as it is, I have encountered many cases where people tag their popular friends to gain a few additional likes. I have also witnessed a change in the young facebook users; how they have gradually changed to someone who they aren’t, courtesy social media. Just like Tyler Oakley, I approve of self-obsession, or rather self-love, but what happens when people get siphoned into a virtual reality, making them someone who they aren’t truly? How is it valuing the self when one isn’t quite the self?
Celebrities post selfies often and they don’t need a couple of hundred thousand likes to bolster their confidence, well a majority of them do not. They do it for various reasons as were discussed in the video. It is a way by which to directly interact with a fan, it helps with their popularity, it makes them feel good about THEMSELVES, because honestly, every celeb out there has this distinct personality that shines through their being. This is what makes their fans swoon over their favourite celebrities. Which is why it is okay. So maybe we should take a tip or two from our favourite celebs and celebrate ourselves and capture ourselves in selfies for who we are, and not to garner likes and comments solely. 😀
Optimistic Verbiage. 