By Kristine Ann M. Fernandez
1,500 HIGH SCHOOL from all over Negros Oriental (NegOr) learned their self-worth the “selfie” way during the Tatak #Selfie Pinoy Youth Summit 2013 last Saturday and Sunday at Bais City.
The boom of social networking sites influenced the boom of selfie or what Oxford dictionary defines as “a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website.” Because of its worldwide popularity, Carole Lieberman, an American psychiatrist sees the rise of selfie as a “metaphor for our increasingly narcissistic culture.”
In the recent youth summit in (NegOr), the main organizers namely—Gawad Kaling, Gaba-an Youth Lead, and Newground Events cleverly used selfie to do an “anti-thesis or contrast of the trend into a positive appreciation of self” rather than inflate one’s self-centeredness. They aimed to boost the youth’s self-esteem, direct their energies and skills into caring, and give their kindness towards others and the community.
A Silliman alumna, Amethyst Dequito, who was the head facilitator of the summit said: “This generation seems to take too much photo of one’s self to make his or her own existence known to others. This is not bad but too much maybe bad and annoying for others.”
Frederick Mascardo, a fourth year high school student from Panalaan National High School, shared what he learned from discovering his self worth. He said, “The activities really relayed a message to my life. All in all, I learned that when you experience trials you have to strive hard and stand up for you to succeed.”
300 youth facilitators who were composed of college students and fresh graduates from various universities in NegOr were also present in the event, some of them are Sillimanians.
Dequito highlighted a distinct Sillimanian character that contributed in facilitating the event. She added:
“Silliman University aims for the holistic development of its students. Holistic development can be satisfied when a person knows and acknowledges his or her own worth. Self confidence is one of the tatak (trademark) of a Sillimanian. This is what makes us different from others because we are confident but not conceited.”
