When I began writing this article I was very indecisive. I just couldn’t make up my mind.  Selfies: are they narcissistic or just the kind of real empowerment people need? After significant research, I’ve concluded taht selfies are empowering, and here’s why:

One reason I believe that taking a selfie is empowering, is because when you take the picture you begin to accept yourself in ways you haven’t before.  As a teen growing up in this harsh and judgmental world, sometimes taking pictures of yourself just makes YOU feel good. Cassandra Semaan (9) says, “If taking a picture of yourself makes you feel beautiful, then take a billion photos of yourself”- I agree one hundred percent. You should feel free to do whatever you like or please- be confident! The reason you begin to accept yourself is because you see your personality and good qualities coming through. Once you see those things you begin to realize that you are perfect the way you are and don’t have to impress people.

Another reason I believe taking a selfie is empowering, is because it is a form of self-expression. When you post a selfie you’re posting it to express your confidence and how you feel about yourself. I believe that expressing yourself plays a big part in allowing you to see yourself through new perspectives.  By accepting yourself, you will start to feel powerful and confident. The reason I believe it’s a form of self-expression is because when you take a picture you show your emotions. Say you feel silly, you take a silly selfie, taking pictures like this gives you the ability to go back and look at how you expressed yourself then and how different you are now.  In high school, why wouldn’t you want to feel good about yourself? If a picture makes you feel that way, then that is amazing: a picture is worth a thousand words.

On the other hand, selfies could be classified as narcissistic. By book definition, the word “narcissistic” means having excessive or erotic interest in oneself and one’s physical appearance. Selfies could be classified this way because it is simply a picture focused on yourself. Why do you have to have so many pictures, when you have a mirror? Dylan Crider (11) states, “Well it’s just a picture.  I don’t think pictures have any impact on making yourself feel better”.  Maybe, just maybe they do not. When your world becomes centered around taking selfies, that’s when it could lead to a narcissistic or “better than you” future, but as of right now, I don’t view or see it as such.

At the end of the day, a picture is really just a picture- whether you take them personally or not. You should feel free to do whatever you please and always feel free to be confident without being labeled as a “try hard” or be told you have a “big ego”. Taking a selfie shouldn’t be a bad thing! Who doesn’t want to feel a little bit empowered once in awhile?