With the rise of TikTok and social media, you can easily go online and see hundreds, if not thousands, of new trends, people, and personalities. Jonathan is telling you what to cook, Iris is telling you what to wear, and Sydney wants you to try meditating. The secret to social media is crafting an individual way of presenting yourself to influence others. That is what people want: to be different, to be exciting.

If you find your style, thrift all of your clothes, and cook all of your food, then you are 100% you. The problem with that is nobody is ever 100% them. That is the beauty of being a human. We are tapestries of our friends, family, and experiences. The way you wear your hair is because your babysitter from ten years ago used to do it like that. Your signature flannel shirt came from a store your uncle raves about. Everyone tries so hard to be individual that the whole point is lost.

Social media has impacted us to the point that you feel like it is not okay to simply like things that are popular. One half of TikTok is constantly begging you to follow these trends, and the other is calling you “boring” and “basic.” You need to allow yourself the simple pleasure of being impacted by someone.

Personally, I grew up always seeing my mom tuck in her shirts a specific way. Looking at it now, it is very basic, but to my little self, that was the “mom tuck”. I eventually got to the point where I could dress myself, and I immediately tucked my shirt in like that. I don’t do it anymore, because I’ve now taken inspiration from my friends and other family.

There is a difference between copying someone because you feel pressured to, and copying someone because it brings you joy. Copying is not the right word, but the concept stays the same. In a world where you feel the need to be someone new, it is imperative that you remember that being impacted by somebody is not a flaw, but a connection.