Once upon a time, people told stories face-to-face, asked each other about their days, and engaged in this phenomenon that seems to be fading away these days called “conversation.”
Then with the new millennium, things started to change. First email, then texting, and around 2007 or so Facebook came marching in quickly gaining millions of users from all over the world. It took a couple years, but after Facebook proved so successful, and so many new media platforms became available—smart phones in particular—new social networking sites began to pop up: Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, Instagram, Vine.
Now I’m not here to bash social networking itself. I myself regularly use Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. All these sites can be great for business advertising, communication, etc. However, if not used with care, any form of social media can become problematic.
One of these sites in particular—Instagram—I believe just may prove to be the ultimate ruin of the younger half of our generation.
“Kids these days…” It’s a cliché phrase we always make fun of old people for saying, but really. Let’s talk about kids these days.
Our younger siblings—today’s middle schoolers and early high schoolers—could become the most vain, and yet insecure generation this country has ever seen, thanks in large part to Instagram and the emergence of the “selfie.”
There are even days of the week dedicated just to taking and posting pictures of yourself: #transformationtuesday, #selfiesunday. The paradox of the selfie is really a fascinating subject to explore.
Tweenagers, girls typically, post pictures of themselves because they’re insecure. They think they’re ugly, and so they post selfies in the hopes that people will tell them they’re pretty. However, the whole reason they even post the picture is because they already know it’s pretty. No one who actually believes they’re ugly would post pictures of themselves on the internet for people to comment on.
Then, this whole device meant to find affirmation often ends up leading to more insecurity. I knew a girl once who actually deleted a photo of herself that she had posted because it only had 47 likes at the end of the day. I’m sorry, what? 47? I get excited if I get more than 20 likes, but maybe that’s my problem.
Selfies have also become a way for kids to prove just how deep thinking, or artsy, or even how Christian they are. Kids post quotes from obscure poetry, or the Bible, or a worship song, and accompany it with a photo of themselves looking pensively off into the distance under a gray scale filter. My question though, is what do the lyrics to “Your Love Never Fails” have to do with your face?
My younger sister, a sophomore in high school, told me a story recently that was painful for me to hear. Keep reading but know that your heart might break for the youth of our nation.
She was at lunch in her school’s cafeteria when a random boy in her grade walked up to her. Here is how their conversation went:
Boy: “Hey girl.”
My sister: “Uhh, hey.”
Boy: “See my friend over there?”
*points to friend in corner*
My sister: “Yeah…”
*giggles girlishly*
Boy: “Well he thinks you’re cute. He wants you to follow him on Instagram.”
*walks away*
Oh yes, you heard correctly. “Follow me on Instagram” is now a pickup line. I’ve even heard of t-shirts with “#FMOI” (“Follow Me On Instagram”) splashed across the front. I think they can be found on Pinterest.
The point is, Instagram is great. I love it just as much as the next person, but I think we can all agree “#FMOI” t-shirts are taking it a little too far.
Our younger siblings and their peers are heading into a downward spiral—a lifetime of looking in mirrors, windows, puddles, any chance they get just to see their reflection, of taking bathroom mirror selfies in low-cut tank tops or muscle shirts as part of their daily routine, and of judging their self-worth based on their “insta-popularity.”
How do we solve this problem? Group therapy sessions in middle schools? A good slap in the face? I don’t know, but I think we can agree that “FMOI” pickup lines and #transformationtuesday posts just to show off how hot you are these days need to end.
