because essentially what you’re saying when you say girls are being too vain or taking too many photos and selfies is “stop being so pleased with your looks and be more modest about them”
but fuck that and let teen girls be vain if they want and proud about how they look
because it’s sure fucking better than teaching them not to be proud of their looks, to hate their bodies, to think that feeling attractive is shameful and you should instead be striving to make yourself more attractive to other peoples’ eyes
like we’re taught to “take pride in your looks” and take so much care over your looks, but when you express how much you love your looks, or take tons of photos to remind yourself that you actually love your face and find yourself attractive, the boys laugh at you and call you a “vain camera whore” and the adults tell you “don’t be smug. be modest. and don’t let people see you being vain. being smug and vain isn’t attractive.”
the message is clear:
“your bodies aren’t for yourselves to appreciate; they’re for us to appreciate”
