Tweens, Beauty & Instagram

Parents frequently ask me if Instagram is okay for teens/tweens.  Please read this mom’s powerful blog on its downside AND potential.

http://www.suburbabble.com/post/46865510969/beauty-is-only-skin-deep-but-instagram-goes-all-the

My concern with Instagram and all of the other photo-face-fabulous-or-not obsessions we have these days goes for adults as well as teens.  Through them, we learn to measure our worth in “Likes” – from pictures that show nothing of our character.

The use of social media to rate, bash, and berate one another speaks for itself.  Yes, it happens; and I choose to light a candle rather than curse the darkness.

Social media is fun and has its benefits.  Like most things in life, it’s great in moderation…or in the case of tweens, with moderation.

We can use social media to start lifting each other up like Demi Lovato does in these tweets that started a ripple of girls posting with no makeup or filters and commenting on each others’ beauty.

These screenshots were sent to me by an inspiring junior in high school who said, “Demi Lovato is amazing!”

We lose big time when girls and women tear each other down.  Conversely, there is a shape-shifting and life-giving power in girls and women who lift each other up.  Blame gets us nowhere.

Be the change. Choose love.