Picture perfect?

FEATURE No filter needed

Emily Bright offers a snapshot of what National Selfie Day is all about

Taylor Swift, Helen Mirren and

Adele are all at it. So are David

Beckham and Pierce Brosnan. The idea of taking lockdown selfies has captured the imagination of celebrities and the general public, and tomorrow (Sunday 21 June) people will celebrate National Selfie Day.

The first recorded selfie dates back to 1839 when an amateur chemist and photographer from Philadelphia, Robert Cornelius, snapped a self-portrait in the back of his family’s chandelier store.

However, the culture of posing by yourself on camera only really developed into a phenomenon in the 21st century with the dawn of camera phones and the birth of social media. In 2013, the term ‘selfie’ became Oxford Dictionaries’ word of the year. A year later, a Texan DJ called Rick McNeely tapped into the trend by devising a day to promote creative selfies. The celebration has spread to the UK.

Photo-focused apps such as Instagram and Snapchat have thrived, as snap-happy individuals take and share pictures of themselves enjoying holidays, celebrating achievements or simply showing off their physical appearance.

Filters and editing software allow people to erase perceived flaws or enhance images of themselves in order to impress. Selfie-takers often intentionally highlight the positive parts of their lives while omitting the realities of their daily struggles and insecurities.

Carefully edited photos of our role models, celebrities and even friends can make it seem as though they have achieved perfection in their lives, which, in reality, is not the case. It’s easy to start comparing ourselves with others online, which can lead to false thoughts about what our lives should look like and then feelings of inadequacy.

In our everyday lives, we can often focus on our flaws instead of our strengths, and can feel inferior to those who may be more skilled, wealthy or successful than we are. It can be easy to downplay our own value or be insecure about our identity.

Many people, though, have found their identity in their Christian faith. They believe that God, their loving Father, is there for them, regardless of their circumstances. They take solace from the knowledge that they don’t need a filter with him. He knows them completely and values them for who they are.

In one book of the Bible, a priest called Samuel is about to choose the next king of

Software allows people to erase perceived flaws

Israel. His first instinct is to pick the strongest and tallest man, but God gently reminds him that a person’s character is far more important, saying: ‘The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart’ (1 Samuel 16:7 New International Version).

We do not need to focus on how we are perceived on the outside. What is in our hearts is far more important. We can receive acceptance and live life to the full, regardless of our past or present circumstances, if we frame our lives around God.