I know most people hate selfies. They groan and complain about them, from the duck lips to the filters. Why, just the word “selfie” can induce legendary amounts of eyerolling.

What people seem to miss, is that selfies are actually great. No, scratch that, selfies are brilliant! One of my favourite pastimes at school is to (discreetly) scroll through my Instagram feed and see pictures of my friends feeling good about themselves.

Isn’t that why people post selfies? From new outfits, to haircuts, to experimental makeup techniques. From first thing in the morning to right before bed. Just for a moment someone is not worried about how their forehead is actually a fivehead, or how their nose is not “perfect.”

A few adjectives usually associated with selfies are vain, narcissistic, cheesy, and basically anything to do with the superficial. For only someone with an inflated sense of self would waste time taking their own picture.

Here is my issue with that type of mindset. I thought we were supposed to be confident in our own skin. Don’t we encourage each other to be ourselves, and love ourselves. Are we not supposed to celebrate and embrace our flaws, or at least run them through a filter that minimizes them.

That is what the selfie is! It marks a time when someone feels beautiful and self assured. When they are having fun and are not worried about the daily personal problems we all have to face. In a time when feelings of insecurity run high and people shy away, the selfie is an instant of boldness.

So do not allow anyone to take those moments from you. To try and shame you, and clip those wings of confidence. To make you feel as if your moment of awesome is not worth sharing and celebrating. Because it is, and phuket to anyone who says otherwise!