Self Portrait?

I believe that a self portrait is something that is thought out and defines who you are as a person. Its about spending time, however short or long, in front of a camera or canvas and thinking about what makes you, you. A self portrait is a representation of your inner self and when I see other teens' pictures on their Facebook or Myspace, I've come to realize that te definition of "self portrait" has been changed a little.

Every picture I see on these websites includes girls showing off as much skin as they can while making a cutesy or alluring pose, or guys showing off muscles or sports skills. And while I firmly believe that a self portrait is something that you should put time into, I can see who people are through their photos, making them sort of like self portraits. I can see what their family is like, the places they like to go, things the like to do and wear. In th millions of status updates people share what they did that day or quotes that are meaningful to them or how they feel that day. So in sense, Facebook and Myspace pictures are like a giant compilation of pictures that make up a self portrait, making their whole page a portrait in itself. Even if it's not what we as art students would normally think of as a "self portrait" (myself included), you sort of have to realize that the change in technology and generations creates a different view o n what art is and that a self portrait can be something so common as a Facebook page.