How Snapchat Increased My Confidence
Gratitude Challenge - Week 22 - Something You Use Everyday
Rarely do we see headlines with the words "Snapchat" and "Increased Confidence". In fact, as a teenager, I often hear the opposite. While I agree that excessive social media use can have serious negative effects, I want to present a new side to this story, one that rarely makes the news or undergoes the studies of scientists.
To preface this story, until a few weeks ago, I was thoroughly against Snapchat. I thought it encouraged vanity as well as inappropriate exchanges between teenagers who do not understand the implications of technology. Needless to say, I was decidedly biased against the whole thing.
I am still not sure what changed. First, I realized that my bias was based on a sweeping generalization of my very own colleagues, the teenage generation. But, even this was not enough to convince me to join in the Snapchatting craze.
I then read an article, probably on Pinterest or Tumblr, my two favorite social media platforms, about the biases regarding teenagers. All of this manifested in a giant revelation about life, which seems silly, but it is true.
It seems as if adults want to shame teenagers out of their youth. And yet, they still proclaim, "Youth is wasted on the young."
And so, I say, relish in being a teenager. Enjoy Snapchat and selfies and the hashtag. Nothing we do is inherently bad. We receive stereotypes based on a few teenagers who do not follow conventional means, thus defying previous generations.
In fact, most of our new traditions are beautiful. We are a genuine generation, unafraid of the judgement of others. We live as we are, not pretending to be something more. We communicate more often and have huge networks of support and love. We are driven to accomplish our dreams, not to make money. We are passionate and selfless.
Relish in that. Know that teenagers are worthy. This does not require a pompous arrogance. Just know that we are blessed. We hold the power of the future within our hands. And we deserve as much respect as any adult.
So, being the defiant young woman I am, I downloaded Snapchat.
After using it everyday for the past few weeks, I am no more immoral than I was before. In fact, I am more comfortable with seeing pictures of myself, something I used to dread due to a lack of self-confidence. I love seeing my friends' facial expressions as we have our usual conversations. The only aspect of the app that bothers me is the 33 character limit; obviously, I am far wordier than the norm.
Never again will I deny myself an experience based on a stereotype.
Rarely do we see headlines with the words "Snapchat" and "Increased Confidence". In fact, as a teenager, I often hear the opposite. While I agree that excessive social media use can have serious negative effects, I want to present a new side to this story, one that rarely makes the news or undergoes the studies of scientists.
To preface this story, until a few weeks ago, I was thoroughly against Snapchat. I thought it encouraged vanity as well as inappropriate exchanges between teenagers who do not understand the implications of technology. Needless to say, I was decidedly biased against the whole thing.
I am still not sure what changed. First, I realized that my bias was based on a sweeping generalization of my very own colleagues, the teenage generation. But, even this was not enough to convince me to join in the Snapchatting craze.
I then read an article, probably on Pinterest or Tumblr, my two favorite social media platforms, about the biases regarding teenagers. All of this manifested in a giant revelation about life, which seems silly, but it is true.
It seems as if adults want to shame teenagers out of their youth. And yet, they still proclaim, "Youth is wasted on the young."
And so, I say, relish in being a teenager. Enjoy Snapchat and selfies and the hashtag. Nothing we do is inherently bad. We receive stereotypes based on a few teenagers who do not follow conventional means, thus defying previous generations.
In fact, most of our new traditions are beautiful. We are a genuine generation, unafraid of the judgement of others. We live as we are, not pretending to be something more. We communicate more often and have huge networks of support and love. We are driven to accomplish our dreams, not to make money. We are passionate and selfless.
Relish in that. Know that teenagers are worthy. This does not require a pompous arrogance. Just know that we are blessed. We hold the power of the future within our hands. And we deserve as much respect as any adult.
So, being the defiant young woman I am, I downloaded Snapchat.
After using it everyday for the past few weeks, I am no more immoral than I was before. In fact, I am more comfortable with seeing pictures of myself, something I used to dread due to a lack of self-confidence. I love seeing my friends' facial expressions as we have our usual conversations. The only aspect of the app that bothers me is the 33 character limit; obviously, I am far wordier than the norm.
Never again will I deny myself an experience based on a stereotype.
Comments
Post a Comment