Has Social Media Limited Our Sense of Individuality?

As social media grew, more people got on it over the years. Kids look forward into turning into that special age that their parents have set to finally allow them to enter the digital worlds social aspect. Some agree that social media has absolutely ruined newer generations, as they have all carried the copy and paste ‘online personality’.  They all want to copy that same persona they see passed down from social media to fit in or seem as relative as others. But does it truly affect us negatively?

For years humans have had the habit of copying what they see – it’s human nature. Whether it was teenage girls in the 80’s copying that big bouncy blowout hair they saw all the celebs rock. Or how everyone in the 90’s would all tune in to MTV. We’ve always had the desire to keep up with the latest slang, song and fashion item to stay relevant.   So, it does seem quite obnoxious to all of a sudden start blaming it on social media. Social media has opened the gates for many to discover new hobbies and brands.

Recently, we have seen the ‘Pilates princess’ trend skyrocket across all social media platforms in the past 2 years. As we see celebrities like Kylie Jenner and pop icon Madonna share their journeys. It has attracted the attention of young adults who always keep an eye out on social media for the latest new fixation and follow well-known gyms such as Alo, have noticed the raise of celebrities like model Kaia Gerber and influencers such as Jamilla Strand attending their infamous Pilates classes. Seeing the trend grow naturally sparks up people’s curiosity to give it a go, and now everyone suddenly has the same Instagram story with the words ‘Pilates princess’ written with the ballerina shoes emoji plotted next right next to it – how ironic.

However as much as we like to make it sound like a buzzkill following trends isn’t a bad thing. Social media has allowed us to explore new interests we would’ve never found out about without it. It allowed people to find their favorite hobby. Or their new favorite movie and even their favorite new word of the month. It’s time for us to embrace new trends and not to judge others as it helps build our individuality by promoting new way to embrace yourself.