This summer I decided to take a photography class. Once you start to look at the world through a lens, you start to see things more closely, than with just the naked eye. So when I had to do my final photography project, I choose to focus on a subject that is extremely prevalent, yet not talked about enough. That subject being the labeling and subsequent judgements that accompany them. Labels are everywhere. Almost every object and person has one. They surround us every day yet when used on people, they never seem to be useful. Instead they bring people down and don’t allow people to grow to their full potential.

Generally, people think that labels tend to take rise in middle school and high school. Anyone who has watched One Tree Hill, can vividly remember Brooker Davis’s incredibly powerful video speech about labels. And while labels can be the most detrimental during middle and high school, they don’t end there.

When one stops to think about all the different labels there are, it is really sad. The media plays a key role in giving us these labels. But we take these labels and use them against one another. I don’t believe there is a single person in the world that can honestly claim that they have never labeled another person before, including myself. However, when we label someone we are in actuality denying ourselves the gift of truly getting to know the real person behind the label. Everyone is unique in their own special way and a label will never give justice in describing someone’s personality.

I think it’s important to look at the stages of what happens when we label someone. Normally, a label is born out of some kind of negative emotion, whether it is anger or want for revenge. Labels are derogatory and not complimentary. Giving a label hurts both the person giving the label and the person who gets labeled. Neither person wins.

Whatever that label is, it slowly begins to tear down a person’s self-esteem. There are times in which that person can feel so insignificant and small in the world. They become just another faceless person in a sea of other faceless labels.

Too many times this leads to a young adult or teenager to resort to drastic measures in order to deal with the pain. A person can become depressed and feel alone.

But it is beyond important that people stop labeling. Being an “un-labeled” society is definitely something we should strive for. Every person is unique and special in his or her own way. With my photography project, I wanted to stress the importance of never letting oneself believe in the labels, to break free from that weight and leave it behind.

You are so much bigger than being labeled a loser or a geek and there is a whole lot more in the world to discover, rather than being brought down by untrue labels. You are a beautiful person inside and out, so tear up that label, put a smile on your face and do something that makes you happy.