Dear, sweet girls. This is what you look like.

I notice that nowadays, girls like to take pictures of themselves.  And that is not a problem.  I don’t, because I have the dilemma of never looking the way I tried to look in the pictures.  The more I deal with younger girls and become their Facebook friend, the more opportunity I have to view the current self-portrait trends.  Now…I make fun---I mean, comment---on how silly it can sometimes be.

What you look like:    

What you think you look like: 

What you really look like: 

(They call it duck face for a reason)

What you look like:  

What you think you look like: 

What you really look like: 

(Being in a professional photo shoot makes a difference)

What you look like:    

What you think you look like: 

What you really look like: 

(Again, professional photo shoots make the difference)

What you look like:   

What you think you look like: 

What you really look like: 

(I mean, really.  Dead eyes, scary smile.  Are you going to eat me?)

What you look like:    

What you think you look like: 

What you really look like: 

(A lesser form of the fish face, mouth gaping and eyes startled.)

So maybe this seems harsh.  Honestly, I think girls need to realize that looking dumb does not equal looking pretty.  At young ages, maybe girls think they have to take those pictures to get guys’ attention.  Someday when their kids look through their pictures, the children will say, “Mom, why do you look so scary?” or “Mom, why are you making a silly face in every photo?”  Then the mothers will say, “Well, back then, everyone took pictures that way.”  What does that say about your generation?  Girls have got to learn…