I, like many other teenagers, have had plenty of free time during this pandemic to peruse various platforms of social media. Scrolling on Instagram, reading funny tweets, and constantly snapping friends to keep in touch-  seems like we are doing anything to pass the time. Many people claim that social media is not beneficial and could be rotting our brains away. However, I completely disagree. 

Last week as I was mindlessly scrolling through the Instagram explore page, I saw a post that really caught my eye. It was a picture of the mountains near Winter Park, Colorado. It was simply just a photo the user snapped with their phone. Nothing fancy, nothing edited, just pure beauty of the mountains. Yes, the mountains were beautiful- but it was the caption that really made me think. All it said was #photosholdpower. Just three simple words, but it was just enough to make me read more. The hashtag with the post was basically saying how one picture can do so much for the soul whether you know it or not. It could be a picture of the mountains that remind you to stay grounded. Even a picture from a school event that reminds you that in the midst of unfortunate events, there are still good moments to look for.

After reading the post it made me think about the pictures I take from day to day. I am not by any means a professional, but I do love to document experiences and the beauty around me. So I started going through the pictures on my phone and it brought me so much joy! I found the picture from before quarantine when I was standing on Mary’s Peak in Oregon. Thinking all the way back to the holiday pep rally in December where we danced and screamed from the top of our lungs beside our best friends. Even though all those fun times were before a pandemic struck the world, I still found some gems from our current times. Like a funny picture of my dog from a few days ago which reminded me to smile, even when it seems that everything around us is falling apart. Or the picture of the sunset that reminded me that every day is new and will be different from before.

#photosholdpower. 

A simple phrase but enough to encourage, brighten, and make you think of the beauty all around. It’s things like this that make me love social media and the opportunities it offers us everyday. Not only can it be used as a way to pass the time, but a spark for a new train of thought.