Pass: Selfie event has positive message

The second Self-ie Perspective event is a positive opportunity to receive and give uplifting compliments.

It is refreshing to see social media culture meet pro-social behaviors in a digital society where self-image is heavily influenced by validation people receive online.

Taking selfies is not always a narcissistic ego stroke. The second Self-ie Perspective event will offer students an opportunity to showcase photos of themselves and their insecurities 9 p.m. Tuesday in the Holmes Student Center, Duke Ellington Ballroom.

Attendees will leave Post-it notes with compliments on each person’s photo. This type of premeditated compliment is more personal than a reflexive “like” on Facebook because it shows people how beautiful everyone sees them despite their insecurities.

The photos, which are supposed to portray insecurities, will be compiled from submissions posted on the event’s Facebook page, on.fb.me/1vHMPRQ.

Complimenting doesn’t have to be limited to a two-hour showcase event. Students can say nice things and give compliments every day on the bus, in a lunch line or passing someone in a hall. Self-ie Perspective is an opportunity to make someone smile.

Fail: NIU pushes for better phone use

The Bring Your Own Device Fair will try to help students get to know their personal electronics even more — as if people aren’t already married to their digital pacifiers.

The event is 1:30 p.m. Feb. 26 in the Holmes Student Center, Ellington’s Restaurant.

If you pay attention you will find students glued to their cellphones, more willing to make eye contact with a touchscreen than a human face. Eye contact is more than just a polite gesture when meeting or interacting with someone; it also helps people not get run over by cars when crossing the street.

If the NIU community wants to improve its electronic skills, it needs to focus on interacting with people first.

Don’t get me wrong; there are some benefits to being more tech-savvy, especially in academia where navigating Blackboard from laptops and smartphones is vital to surviving in some classes. But, instead of learning how to become more dependent on technology, people need to use it for what it is: a tool, not a life source.