3 February | Youth
«As in water face reflects face, so a man’s heart reveals the man.» Proverbs 27:19
Among the new habits that technology has brought us, one of the most common is taking selfies. Whoever has never taken a photo of themselves, during a walk or a meal, cast the first stone! Although it is seen by some as an expression of vanity and narcissism, others see this tendency as a more objective form of communication, in addition to being a means of social connection.
However, this practice has not been so harmless. According to research conducted by the iO Foundation, between January 2008 and July 2021, around 380 people died around the world while taking a selfie. In 2015, for example, there were more deaths from selfies than from shark attacks. The most common places for falls are cliffs, waterfalls and rooftops, totaling 216 deaths. It happens most commonly in the age group of teenagers up to 19 years old (41% of the total) and young people between 20 and 29 years old (37%).
In addition to this problem involving physical integrity, there is another more subjective one. The time we spend on our cell phones, the constant use of filters on photos and the anxiety of receiving more likes have caused irreparable damage to people's self-esteem. Currently, there is an incessant search for the beauty standard popularized on social media. To achieve this, it does not matter how much “virtual makeup” is used. What really matters is looking interesting and happy.
In the book Is Instagram Standardizing Faces? Camila Cintra reflects on this wave of facial representations. The postmodern human being is experiencing an identity crisis and, as a consequence, also an image crisis, because we are beings with multiple facets. The image presented does not always identify the reality. Everything is just an illusion, which unfortunately serves a consumption logic.
Faced with this reality, we need to reflect on the way we have shown our face. Do our selfies represent who we are? What kind of image do we want to convey to people?
May your life and your posts reflect a kind heart and a face truly transformed by Jesus. Remember that the joyful heart of those who have found Christ is what makes their face beautiful (Prov 15:13).