By: Soul Koen
There are many reasons as to why people choose to smile. They may smile because they have recently received a bonus at their job, or to hide their insecurities and pain. Many people tend to wear a smile simply because it is something to hide behind. It offers people sanctuary and hiding behind a smile is a lot easier than telling people what is wrong.
All these beautiful smiles that we see everyday are masks. They are used to hide the pain many people my age are feeling. Smiles are used to hide the stress, the frustration, and the depression that hide deep within many of these high school students.
Many of the students I captured in my photos were going through a tough time but they used their smiles as a cover up. Smiles tend to be a social que that put other people at ease, so it has become common for people to smile instead of frown in order to make others feel comfortable. Several of us high school students feel compelled to cover up our emotions in order to make others feel satisfied that they have done enough to uplift one’s mental health.
It is time to put away the smiles and express what we truly feel. It is time to release all the pain and frustration that has been pent up for so long. It is time to finally be free.
Tags: column, emotion, mask, Redwood, redwood gigantea, redwood journalism, smile