These days, almost anybody with an Instagram account has, at least once, had the experience of scrolling through their feed, only to be bombarded by endless selfies posted by their peers. While mindlessly scrolling, and perhaps, guiltlessly liking a selfie or two, one can’t help but question, are these posts artistic or narcissistic?
Numerous articles have been published regarding the psychological and artistic components that factor into posting selfies, but does it really have to be that complicated? As teenage girls, or boys, do we really take the time to think about why we are posting a selfie, or do we just snap a picture and share it with the world because we think we look fabulous? Most teenagers, or at least the humble ones, would deny the second reason even though it is often the most valid.
Because we live in a society where physical appearance has a significant impact on teenage lives, we can not help but thrive off of the approval of our peers. With every “like” a selfie receives, it is a slight confidence boost knowing that just one more person approves of the way you look. Any self-respecting teenagers would rather not admit to posting selfies for the validation of those around them, so instead, they will post a selfie with a caption such as, “Lol I hate myself for posting this,” or “Goodbye dignity, hello selfie,” as if that makes it any better.
While posting selfies has been viewed as a method of expressing one’s individualism in an “artsy” manner, it is doubtful that there are any artistic qualities regarding a picture of one’s face with a sappy caption plastered underneath. Even though it is easier to glorify this narcissistic habit by calling it “creative,” the sad reality is, we live in a world, today, where teenagers feel the need to flaunt their physical appearance in order to gain the approval of those around them.