Hey guys,
So we are all on these social network sites we can’t deny it! I resisted for some time but to be completely honest you do need it in this day and age—you can miss out on events and news that’s important and its such an easy way to hold of people quickly without racking up mega bills :)
But the one trap most of us fall into is the Profile picture craze that sucks you into the world of vanity. I can promise you about 90% of your contacts profile picture –or cover picture now –thanks Facebook for that annoying feature– are photos of themselves –tons of them– and I’m not one to talk either!
I find myself—someone who is not particularly conscious of what other people think of me studying my photos before I put them on Facebook—editing them to look the best they can be—and I’m ashamed of it to be honest– why should we edit the pimples , shine marks and uncool family out of the picture.
Before I start going all philosophical I will start the main body of the post– and yes I guess its another long one!
I'm going to look at my photos in a different light—maybe you should too!?
So here are a selection of my profile pictures over the years I have had Facebook—what are these photos screaming out at people who view them now I look back-
So this was the first profile picture I ever used on Facebook—this was three years ago—actually this is quite embarrassing now I look really young I think—but i remember this was my absolute favourite hat and I’m in my school uniform because I was so excited to set up my account and feel like a grown up . I actually look really happy here –aww its so cute looking back at yourself—at the time you feel so grown up—so I would have been 12 here !
A lovely bit of editing being done here in this one– this was my leavers disco so this is a year 8 photo! A nice little statement there we are all full of cheese at this age aren't we—I really like this photo of me and I remember choosing this one because in all the others I was with my friends and I remember thinking I looked big next to them because they were all such skinny sticks too skinny probably and looking back I wasn’t fat but at the time I felt like it.And I guess this statement was to prove to myself I was happy with my size even when I wasn’t!
This one tells me I must of thought a bit more about my profile pictures –they got a bit more art farty from here. Maybe I was thinking about it too much in fact. 2011
This one is cute– its smiley and I think this is a honest fresh unedited picture –I was obviously feeling confident in myself more than before maybe with a network of friends around this time.
This next one is very generic Facebook profile picture. I obviously followed the crowd at this point –maybe following that network of new friends too much. Also no teeth in my smile anymore maybe a bit worried about my image?
I remember being so pleased with this photo of me because for once I had a really gorgeous edited up close photo of myself like all of the other girls on Facebook. Gorgeous big eyes and ary gorgeously flowing hair. Looking back I want to kick myself and say it doesn't matter about a stupid vanity picture! To me this picture says I love myself and no one else.
And finally I’m starting to feel the photos are getting less obsessive and this is a really fun –unedited friendly picture of a good memory I have. In theory everyone should be like this but in reality we’re not!
Big smiles with friends and even though we are made up and looking grown up its not self obsessive and close up faces with no expressions anymore! To me this picture says I’m confident with who I am and I feel loved my lots of people– I remember this as a good point in my life! 2012 endings.
Big cheesy siles having a good time—almost too big smiles to be attractive but says I’m childish yet growing up and I’m enjoying myself and want to share that!
All these profile pictures symbolise times in my life and how I’ve felt—Facebook is like a picture diary and looking back there are times when you just want to get a time machine go back to the past and tell your younger self –don’t worry about what something thinks when they look at these photos! But you can’t and I’m sure I will look back at my photos when I’m even older and say exactually the same thing! We can’t be perfection all the times and we do follow the crowd , we are vain and we do care what people think but people target those who don’t seem confident -especially with cyberbullying cases surrounding profile pictures—so put on big smiles include friends in your photos and even embarrassing family because by editing and cutting people out your giving others the worng impressions!
