Self Obsession

I believe that this connection between the photo and memory has created a new cultural identity that has both positive and negative effects. We have become much more individualized; previous generations were taught to find value in being part of something bigger than themselves. Younger people find value in themselves. Technology and social media have made us feel unique and special and we demand to be treated as such.

This can become a problem when you reach the "real world" and you learn that you are less like a snowflake, distinct among snowflakes, and instead learn that you are a functioning cog in some great machinery serving something beyond yourself. Finding out that you aren't that special can be soul-crushing.

Without getting too political, I think this can also be a good thing. Young people are demanding more of their employers, and people are beginning to see the flaws with capitalism. It is also creating a new era of free thinkers who are not bound by their parents views of religions and politics. Things are becoming more individualized in a good way.

The real problem, however, is the self-obsession that tends to go hand-in-hand with social media. Every positive reinforcement of a "selfie" tells a person that their looks are inherent to their self worth, creating a culture of intense vanity. Those who are in the "not" in terms of beauty have their insecurities magnified ten-fold when they see the popularity of Instagram models. Our memory of ourselves from any given moment in time can become jaded by the lack of attention we receive on social media. We empower the vain and inflict pain on the rest.