I thought we had moved past the duckface selfies, but I’m not entirely sure that’s true. Sure, we still have the mouth-wide-open, peace-sign photos, but thankfully, the duckface seems to have taken a backseat for now.
Honestly, I’m not a fan of selfies. They give me the creeps. When I see my daughter snapping 75 selfies during our three-minute drive to the grocery store, I lose my mind. She insists on getting the perfect shot. Once, she tried to include me in one of her selfies, and in an attempt to make it unsendable, I gave the camera the finger (yes, I know, no need for the judgment!). But, of course, that photo got sent anyway, and now she’s known as the girl whose mom flipped off the camera. Seriously.
Our household is practically run by Snapchat. With two teens constantly glued to their phones, it’s a mystery how we ended up raising a generation of selfie-obsessed kids who can’t seem to send anything other than pictures of themselves. When I suggested my daughter send something different to her friends, she looked at me as if I had just sprouted two heads. “Like what? What else is there?” I was left utterly speechless.
Just last week, one of our kids missed a whole week of school due to illness and ended up in the ER. I can only imagine that as soon as her friends noticed she was absent, they bombarded her with Snapchats. I’m pretty sure they all received a selfie of her with puffy eyes and a pale face. Oh, the horror!
But then, something unexpected happened. On the first day she was sick, the doorbell rang, and it was one of her friends holding a milkshake. Knowing my daughter couldn’t eat due to a sore throat, this sweet girl had driven to Sonic and spent her own money to bring a little joy to her friend. In the teen world, that’s actually a huge deal.
The next day, the doorbell chimed again, and this time it was a delivery guy from Panera Bread. My daughter’s friend, who she insists isn’t her boyfriend (trust me, I hear this every time I bring it up), had called in an order for her and had it delivered to our house. Seriously, who does that? I couldn’t help but text my husband, telling him he needed to step up his game because this kid was outdoing him!
The following day, the doorbell rang yet again. I opened the door to find a pizza delivery guy who had brought over a pizza ordered by my daughter’s best friend, who doesn’t even live in our city! He handed me a personal pizza, fries, and a drink, telling me everything was already paid for, including the tip. I later called her mom to express my gratitude, only to find out she had no idea her daughter sent lunch to mine. There was zero glory in it for her friend; she was just quietly being kind.
Then we ended up back in the ER, and as she lay there, her phone buzzed nonstop with friends checking in. I also watched her snap pictures of her IV and the hospital monitor. On the last day of the week, her “not-my-boyfriend” and her best guy friend showed up during lunch with burgers from our favorite fast-food joint. They ate together outside, providing her with much-needed company and smiles after a tough week.
These kids proved me wrong repeatedly throughout the week. It was a humbling experience. Maybe all this technology and social media isn’t making them self-centered bullies after all. In fact, it allows them to connect in ways we could only dream of at their age. Sure, social media can sometimes be misused, but I learned that it can also be a platform for kindness and generosity.
When I was young, if a friend missed school for a week, we might have called them after dinner on our landline to see how they were. But these kids have instant access to one another, enabling them to show compassion in ways we never could. I want to reach out to each of their parents and say, “Thank you, well done!”
We don’t give this generation enough credit. They are navigating a world filled with instant connectivity and social media, and despite the challenges, they are doing a commendable job. So if you’re worried about your little ones entering their teen years, let me reassure you: the best is yet to come. These kids are phenomenal, and watching them grow into caring and thoughtful young adults is a beautiful experience—even if it mostly happens via Snapchat.
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Summary: This article reflects on the unexpected kindness and connection that social media fosters among teens, highlighting how it allows them to support one another in times of need. Despite initial concerns about the negative impacts of selfie culture, the author finds hope and compassion in her daughter’s friends’ actions.