Has there ever been a moment where you’re taking a cute selfie and someone you’re with makes fun of you for taking it? I think most people who take selfies regularly have had that experience.

It doesn’t feel great to have someone point it out, especially if they say it in a condescending manner. Every time it happens to me, I want to yell,“Let me live my life! I look cute and I want the world to see it!” It’s not someone else’s place to tell me if it’s alright to take a picture of myself.

I take pictures of myself often, even when I don’t look good or my makeup is smudged. It makes me feel better, I feel more confident taking them. Yes, I want the likes; yes, I do enjoy the attention from people viewing them. However, more so than that, I like being able to control the angle the picture is being taken at, the lighting, and every other aspect of a photo. When it comes out good, I get a swell of joy. I look good, that pleasant reminder is important to people.

It’s been a long standing argument that this generation is the most vain, that we care about our appearances more than any other generation. It’s true, we do care more about the physical appearance of ourselves, but I don’t think that’s come from the invention of the selfie. We live in a time where eating disorders are more common in people. The rate of eating disorders has been increasing since 1950 and more people than ever struggle with body image issues. We have to care about our appearances or we get judged by random strangers.

We face a pressure everyday to look good, to always be ready to go off and stun anyone who looks at us. On the radio just recently, the hosts talked about how women should not wear sweatpants to the grocery store. Everyday we get judged by how we look, even when we’re just running errands. It changes how a person sees themselves, how they decide to present themselves.

Young people have the option to turn to a social media platform to find support with their physical appearance. Being able to share a picture with others on those platforms allows for instant gratification, there is no wait for someone to tell you in person you look nice. It gives the user an automatic reassurance that they look beautiful. It calms the anxiety someone has if they’re going out because they know after that selfie goes out that they are presentable and ready to show the world themselves.

Posting selfies can be healthy for a person, it feels nice to post an image of yourself that you look good in. So next time you see a person taking a selfie, don’t say anything. That person must feel confident in that moment to take that picture, don’t drag them down. Selfies aren’t harmful, they’re just good fun and a self esteem boost.