The self In Selfie
Posting digitally manipulated images onto social media is not morally wrong. Putting our best foot forward means we care about ourselves enough to ensure that our emotional needs are met. Whether it be through “likes,” “favorites,” or compliments, boosting one's self-esteem should be encouraged. Through image enhancements and social media, we can help ourselves feel more confident.
Just as we take time in the morning to dress, smell, and look our best, we can “tweak,” “filter,” and look our best through pictures we can take now from virtually any angle. While in the past our social needs were primarily fulfilled through in-person interactions, today, we can do almost as much online as offline. Today, we can keep our images virtually forever thanks to printing, cloud storage, and technology. Not only can we store and display our photographs to decorate our lives offline, but we can also share them quickly through our lives online, bringing back the joy of the past and connecting a sense of community and camaraderie. Enhancing images makes them more desirable and aesthetically pleasing. No one has to worry about being the odd one out, like the one person with his or her eyes closed in a group photo. In addition, consider how popularity has shaped our society: people follow trends in person, changing not only the people following these lifestyles and trends but also society itself. Women wear Prada, Coach, and Victoria’s Secret; what is so different about wearing Mayfair or Valencia? It is because we wear and demand them that more creative styles arrive every season. Fashion has become desirable, useful, fresh, and empowering. Embracing digital manipulation on social media could be the next fresh and empowering move for women. One study, published in the Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking scientific journal, suggests digital self-presentations may actually improve self-esteem. Participants of the study who edited and viewed their Facebook profiles found that presenting preferred or positive information enhanced their awareness of their ideal self, improving their esteem (Gonzales and Hancock 4). If the norm is to put a filter on our images, use emojis, and take advantage of other digital and social media tools, then why should we not? By doing so, we may be able to sustain longer and more involved relationships; we may also be on the cusp of creating a society, whose participants, in much greater numbers, are brimming with confidence. |