You can’t force creativity or individuality. It is something that comes naturally, and expressed in numerous different methods. Most importantly, creativity is all about being unique and your own individual. But in today’s world, the goal is to simply fit in, to blend in. Most of the time we don’t want to stand out anymore which is so sad to me. Instead making ourselves try to be unique, we try to assimilate with those around us.
(Loss of personal identity. Source: Google Images)
But why is this? I think that our differences are what make us so special. And yes I realize how cliche that sounds but it’s so true. Our desire to fit in and be like others around us stems from so many factors, whether positive or negative. For a (constantly) increasing amount of people, I think social media and celebrities play a large role in this.
Through media in general, people are able to present themselves in a certain, usually positive, way. On our side of the screen, all we can see is this one picture they have probably spent the last few hours editing and thinking of the perfect caption. I can’t claim that I am not guilty of this too, I think it is easy to get into the mindset that your post needs to be perfect so it can get a certain number of likes. But what we don’t realize is that we all are contributing to this phenomenon of creating a facade of perfection and happiness.
This year in particular, we have seen the rise of the “VSCO girl”. To sum it up, a VSCO girl is a girl wearing oversized t-shirts and sweatshirts, with a choker and a hydroflask. Although there is nothing wrong with wanting to fit in (it’s human nature), presenting the idea to all the young and impressionable people on social media projects the wrong message in my opinion. At a young age they are exposed to what they think their bodies should look like and how they should dress. Our society has come to the very untrue conclusion that beauty looks one way and not another. You don’t have to have an oversized t-shirt, hydroflask, and a messy bun just to be considered pretty.
An article by Jessica Schmidt states that instead of posting for our own enjoyment, we’ve become trapped trying to show off and be like other influencers on Instagram and other social media sites. Editing our pictures to no end, simply trying to show off, is not fun for anyone. It simply forces us and others on social media, to compare themselves to everything they see online. Schmidt perfectly encapsulates these ideas into one statement. She says, “There is no individuality in comparison. There is only regret, sadness, (The perfect feed. Source: Google Images) insecurity, and competition.”
But it doesn’t have to be like this. Social media is what we make it and what we use it for. If we reduce the time spent on accounts that we know make us feel like we have to look or act a certain way, we can reduce the negative effects of social media. Furthermore, by following more feel good, positive, or unique accounts, we are able to boost our confidence while spurring our own individuality.
Life (and social media) is what you make it. So next time you’re on social media, make conscious decisions about who to follow and take the time to consider how it makes you feel.
Hi Julia, I loved your blog topic! I can totally agree with you that in today’s world, almost everyone is focused on trying to fit in. High school can be pretty scary if you are the odd one out. But I agree with you that being a unique individual is what makes us great! Today I feel like everyone is really just a carbon-copy of the next and that is really disappointing because we no longer get to see everyone’s individual style. Social media has definitely played a big role in this, like you said everyone wants to make it seem like they are “perfect” so our editing skills have gone into overload. I think people should stop trying to fit in and just be themselves!
This topic is super relatable and I love your confidence in tackling this, because it can be super hard to change people’s opinions. I wrote my blog post on different types of white people in Naperville and I actually chose “VSCO Girl” as one of my categories because it’s just so present in today’s society. But unfortunately with that comes this new standard from society about what things you have and how pretty you are.
I think it can be really hard to talk about VSCO girls because most of us fit so well into this category, I know I do. But I think you shouldn’t have to be ashamed of dressing this certain way or owning these things. They are popular for a reason. They are effective (hydroflasks) or they are comfy (oversized tshirts and scrunchies) and so more people have them. That’s how it works with everything that becomes popular, and that’s one of the reasons I really hate the term VSCO girl. Sorry that was a little bit of a rant from me, but I think the individuality portion that you mentioned is so so important to keep in mind. I love the quote you included from Jessica Schmidt.
Do you there will always be a group like VSCO Girls (by that I mean stereotyped as much as they are) even if the name fades or changes to something else?
As much as we try to avoid this comparison in our society and our lives, I think it’s really difficult to confidently say we can get rid of it 100%.
I absolutely loved this blog, it was super cool how you mentioned how important individuality is. I think we often find ourselves fitting into a certain crowd, and becoming similar to them. What I do think is interesting is how I feel we can never truly be individual. As humans, we often gravitate towards people similar to us, as we feel comfortable with them. Do you think this means as we grow closer to people, we automatically become less individual?
Julia! I’m honestly split between agreeing and disagreeing with this post. I 100% agree that individuality is so important and really highlights what makes us special, but the one thing I’m iffy about is editing pictures and having a cool feed.
I definitely acknowledge that that can destroy our self-esteem as we’re constantly comparing to other people, but I, myself, have a themed Instagram, and I guess I’m arguing that I don’t use it like that. I started a theme to group my life events from senior year, so when I scroll back to the earthy hues, I’ll get a kick of nostalgia. For college, I plan to switch the theme for the same reason. I love looking back on old memories, and because certain colors trigger intense surges of emotion in me, I’ve decided to correlate themes to important periods in my life.
You definitely address this in the end, though, when you mention that life (and social media) is what you make it, so as long as I don’t fall to the negativity of social media, I think my use of my ig will stay for now :).
I really like the message of this post. I think it is something so many people are guilty of. I know that I definetly am. The worst part is that I think people who try to fit in are also made fun of. VSCO girl seem to just replace the “basic white girl” and society seems to look down on what this means. Although I think it can be annoying when people force themselves to like things to fit in, there are also cases where people like the same things. Having the same taste as someone else shouldn’t deem you ununique and unoriginal. Being a highschool girl has also played a role in what I like as well, so when people bring me down for it, it’s hard to understand why. I think that people should not hid their uniqueness but it is also ok to enjoy what others enjoy.