Young people are creating personal brands in order to create what they think is a positive, digital footprint. They are trying to create an image of themselves that is more pleasing for society; however, they often are missing out on just being themselves. Even worse, they are not allowing for the natural growth that they should be experiencing. Allow me to explain.
I remember from my high school years, and from teaching grades 10-12 for twelve years, how some kids (students) kind of blossomed earlier than others in high school, and how others did so in their mid-20’s or so. This effected how I approached my classes in general, especially in the past 11 years as I taught grade 6 Early Immersion.
With these grade 6 students, I knew that some of them, but the Spring, were starting to go through puberty. I could see how, already, students were starting to compare themselves to each other, perhaps feeling less athletic, less pretty, less popular, etc. I felt sorry for them and wanted to give them some hope. So, in Health class, I always give an Introductory speech on how our goal this year is to prepare ourselves for the ever-changing relationships they will be going through in junior high as they change at different rates.
I compare them to different kinds of flowers that have not yet bloomed; that they are like buds that will blossom at different times. I tell them how they are all unique, and tell them how they are all special in that they will all develop in a way that makes them great at something. I explain how they should not feel down when they see others shine before they do. I add how they will eventually all “see the light” and blossom into the wonderful people that they were meant to be.
I give examples of former friends or students (without giving names) who were so popular in high school, but that it faded out for a while at some point later on in life. One girl in grades 10 – 12 was an excellent basketball player, and boys found her to be pretty. She was quite popular in high school; yet, in university, she was so busy with her demanding program that she had no time for sports, got really out of shape, and was not popular at all. After university, life improved for her again (for her self-image and confidence).
I also told them about a girl who was in high school in my grades. She was shy, not in any sports, and sometimes was teased after getting glasses in grade 10. Some of the guys who teased her in high school really wished they hadn’t later on. I’ll never forget, after running into her when we were around 26 years old, how I almost didn’t recognize her as she ran and hugged me (I was always good to her), or how she laughed over tea as she explained how she gave a cold shoulder to some of the guys who used to make fun of her who were now trying so hard to date her. She was so pretty now, confident, settling into a new career as a lawyer.
So, when I say that I would like to see young people naturally developing into the wonderful person they were meant to be, it is because I do not like the narcissistic, personal branding that some young people are so obsessed with. Unfortunately, I also see some adults doing this, especially after having gone through some kind of unfortunate stage of life (like divorce). These young people, and some adults, struggle each day to try and maintain an image they want to keep, digitally. Please take a look at the video I will include in this blog post. It is a short film that portrays a young lady who has not yet seen the light, and is trying to brand herself in a way she thinks that society would prefer. This award-winning short film is called, A Social Life.
On the other hand, Fishwick (2016) indicates that in some ways there has always been a “need to project a positive image”, even before the electronic age. She points out how psychologist, Ciaran McMahon, believes that “the link between narcissism and social media use is not so clear-cut.” Perhaps those who are narcissistic online would have been anyway, without the advent of social media. As teachers, we need to help guide students to not be caught up in a trap where they are trying to portray an image of themselves that they think society would like to see, but just to celebrate the person they are as they all blossom into the wonderful people that they were meant to be.
A Social Life. Award Winning Short Film. Social Media Depression. [video file]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXdVPLj_pIk
Fishwich, C (2016). I, narcissist – vanity, social media, and the human condition. theguardian. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/17/i-narcissist-vanity-social-media-and-the-human-condition.
I remember from my high school years, and from teaching grades 10-12 for twelve years, how some kids (students) kind of blossomed earlier than others in high school, and how others did so in their mid-20’s or so. This effected how I approached my classes in general, especially in the past 11 years as I taught grade 6 Early Immersion.
With these grade 6 students, I knew that some of them, but the Spring, were starting to go through puberty. I could see how, already, students were starting to compare themselves to each other, perhaps feeling less athletic, less pretty, less popular, etc. I felt sorry for them and wanted to give them some hope. So, in Health class, I always give an Introductory speech on how our goal this year is to prepare ourselves for the ever-changing relationships they will be going through in junior high as they change at different rates.
I compare them to different kinds of flowers that have not yet bloomed; that they are like buds that will blossom at different times. I tell them how they are all unique, and tell them how they are all special in that they will all develop in a way that makes them great at something. I explain how they should not feel down when they see others shine before they do. I add how they will eventually all “see the light” and blossom into the wonderful people that they were meant to be.
I give examples of former friends or students (without giving names) who were so popular in high school, but that it faded out for a while at some point later on in life. One girl in grades 10 – 12 was an excellent basketball player, and boys found her to be pretty. She was quite popular in high school; yet, in university, she was so busy with her demanding program that she had no time for sports, got really out of shape, and was not popular at all. After university, life improved for her again (for her self-image and confidence).
I also told them about a girl who was in high school in my grades. She was shy, not in any sports, and sometimes was teased after getting glasses in grade 10. Some of the guys who teased her in high school really wished they hadn’t later on. I’ll never forget, after running into her when we were around 26 years old, how I almost didn’t recognize her as she ran and hugged me (I was always good to her), or how she laughed over tea as she explained how she gave a cold shoulder to some of the guys who used to make fun of her who were now trying so hard to date her. She was so pretty now, confident, settling into a new career as a lawyer.
So, when I say that I would like to see young people naturally developing into the wonderful person they were meant to be, it is because I do not like the narcissistic, personal branding that some young people are so obsessed with. Unfortunately, I also see some adults doing this, especially after having gone through some kind of unfortunate stage of life (like divorce). These young people, and some adults, struggle each day to try and maintain an image they want to keep, digitally. Please take a look at the video I will include in this blog post. It is a short film that portrays a young lady who has not yet seen the light, and is trying to brand herself in a way she thinks that society would prefer. This award-winning short film is called, A Social Life.
On the other hand, Fishwick (2016) indicates that in some ways there has always been a “need to project a positive image”, even before the electronic age. She points out how psychologist, Ciaran McMahon, believes that “the link between narcissism and social media use is not so clear-cut.” Perhaps those who are narcissistic online would have been anyway, without the advent of social media. As teachers, we need to help guide students to not be caught up in a trap where they are trying to portray an image of themselves that they think society would like to see, but just to celebrate the person they are as they all blossom into the wonderful people that they were meant to be.
A Social Life. Award Winning Short Film. Social Media Depression. [video file]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXdVPLj_pIk
Fishwich, C (2016). I, narcissist – vanity, social media, and the human condition. theguardian. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/17/i-narcissist-vanity-social-media-and-the-human-condition.