I couldn’t decide if this was a positive or negative power move inflicted by my generation, but it seems every girl that has a social media outlet and a friend with a camera, or iPhone (nothing less than a iPhone four, what are you a dinosaur?) thinks they can officially add the occupation of "model," in their informational bio, or tagline. I have heard so many people say, “Everyone thinks they’re a model these days,” or “Oh, no I am not a model, my friend and I just went and took pictures!” But slap on a filter, Valencia and X-Pro aren’t going to cut it, buy a photo-editing app (don’t be cheap with that $2.99 crap), and you’re now signed with Ford Models of Yourself.

This has led me to the decision that this can be a very positive thing for youth as they grow up in a world more accepting and less judgmental of what can be posted on social media. As we grow and get older, I personally have seen how generations have changed over time in how comfortable they are with themselves, and even online. Social media has given girls and maybe even some guys, an outlet to not only express themselves but also be more confident. It is an expansion of self-love that people can express through social media platforms to numerous groups of people. Not just youth can benefit from this, but any age, the confidence that can be boosted from a friendly photo post can mean a lot to someone. Social media in today’s society has opened a gateway for people to be more comfortable with themselves.

I take full responsibility for being one of the girls described above and I am proud of that. I have some artsy friends, or like some bored friends and sometimes professional (sometimes) who are like, “Hey let's go for no reason and take photos in the woods, or a field, or put flowers in your hair and make an album and upload it to Facebook, one to Instagram (weekly and also for #tbt use), and then a few to Twitter with an emoji attached.” Some of us get blessed with those friends who are actual paid photographers and they want to take pictures of you for practice. Take advantage of those friends. These friends are the ones that think you’re confident enough to post pictures of yourself exposed through a camera lens, and that’s freaking awesome. But these photos aren’t complete without a quote from a song that makes you seem deep, in love, or strong/independent and don’t need help from anyone, sort of vibe. Keep that in mind.

I think this idea of girls being able to express themselves and feel confident enough to share their pictures is great! I think in a sense it's just another way to emphasize female empowerment. If you want to feel pretty, feel damn pretty! In some cases, you know, maybe simmer down a little bit and post like every other photo with pictures not of you. This could also show you’re not too self-centered and I guess people looking for relationships like that in a girl, or something. I guess they also don’t like when you post a decent amount of pictures showing way more than your dazzling smile, but hey, do you, girlfriend.

I will leave you now with these important words of advice to live by. Rack up those likes, collecting those favorites, when in doubt making a picture black and white, and post that picture you’re unsure about because you’re damn gorgeous.