I recently saw a girl’s profile picture with more than 310 likes. As someone who grew up with her, I wasn’t too surprised, I knew she always enjoyed this kind of attention. However, her acquaintances informed me she tends to “friend” anyone on Facebook for the sake of status in the eyes of others. She wants it known that she probably is very popular, beautiful, etc. Although she actually may be good looking on the outside, do the number of meaningless likes really determine the beauty and person you are?

Do those computer drawn thumbs-up’s really give you enough self-esteem to convince people they’re the best?

Later, I clicked on the profile picture of one of the sweetest and naturally gorgeous girls I’ve become friends with. It had five likes. In the Facebook world, the lack of likes probably determines she is nothing special. Nonetheless, this particular girl could rattle off a long list of her accomplishments and friends, or purposely get dolled up to take the greatest profile picture ever because she has the looks; but she doesn’t do this.

She has a lack of likes on her picture, but this girl is so appreciated by many because she is kind and humble, and takes pride in the looks, talent and blessings she was given. She does not try to impress the world with Photoshop-tampered mirror pictures for status and temporary confidence, unlike the first girl. She’s just being happy and herself.

It is possible you’re thinking now, “Why does this all matter? Relax, it’s Facebook, just a picture. What if people just simply like the picture or person in it?” In one aspect, maybe so.

However, it’s worth caring about because the mass of likes and comments seem to deliver a boost of self-esteem to young or insecure people but only temporarily. Often the boost is strong enough where people continue raising the bar against others and themselves. A competition to be the best emerges by constantly attaining a wave of compliments, just to be relieved with a wave of confidence. Eventually, people will lose sight of their natural style, instead choosing to follow or enhance whatever the “norm” is.

There are even individuals who will caption a picture “temp” or “temporary” because they want show off an updated look, but they know they can look better. They know they can shoot a picture on a day where their hair, outfit or body will make for a more striking image than friends’ photos or their own so-so “temp.” It’s too common now to see people, especially young girls, impress to gain compliments that can at most provide a temporary feeling of good self-esteem and satisfaction.

In the end, constantly editing and one-upping yourself in pictures accomplishes what? A noticeable difference between how you look in reality and how you look on social networks? Ultimately, that accomplishes nothing. It just means you’ve lost who you are. You’re now either fake or too busy getting caught in the competition of trying to outdo everyone else.

People should want to strive for lasting confidence and happiness by being his or herself. The moral of the story is this: You will truly earn genuine approval, love, self-respect and others’ respect when people just see you just being you.

Hasn’t anyone ever heard of how plenty of guys find girls beautiful walking around in sweats and glasses? Don’t a handful of girls just melt when a guy smiles through some messy hair and a plain white T-shirt? It is no doubt that a male flexing or a female posing can be eye-catching, but realistically that cannot define your true beauty. It’s the natural look and your personality that matters.

Social networks seem to convince people that quantity is more impressive than quality: number of friends, number of likes, number of followers. Don’t let yourself get lost in this challenge to be the best or the most popular or the one with the most accumulated likes. You will never win.

As Tanni Sattar said, “Someone will always be prettier. Someone will always be smarter. Someone will always be younger. But they will never be you.”

Don’t fight the inevitability, just be noticed in your own way.

Confidence always will be the greatest outfit. A sincere smile is the greatest accessory. Kindness and unique personality is the key to standing out in a sea of sameness.

Daring to be who you want to be and who you were meant to be will result in lasting satisfaction. That is one competition you are guaranteed to always win.

Jaime Crudo is a State News guest columnist and advertising freshman. Reach her at crudojam@msu.edu.