I have never been a big trend follower, at least the majority of the time. If a new TV show comes out, chances are, I am not inclined to watch it until a few months later. If a popular artist releases a new album, I probably will not listen unless they are one of my favorite artists. I cannot explain it, but somehow, something being trendy is simply not enough of a reason for me to try it. I will try it if or when I feel like it.
This is definitely not a mindset that many people have. I know plenty of people who watch whatever TV show or movie is trending the instant it comes out. We all saw the popularity rise of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” Season Three, and then the craze behind “Heated Rivalry” (which I did eventually watch over spring break, and it is incredible). Another example is when Taylor Swift releases a new album, and every video on TikTok’s algorithm features “The Fate of Ophelia” for two months. Certain body types or lifestyles also become trends and change in any given decade. The most recent form of this trend is the popularity of weightlifting culture and the obsession with protein powder or certain diets that promote that lifestyle. Whatever the current trend may be, it is clear that the majority of people are aware of and follow trends.
I am aware that I have been outside of the norm in this way. However, while I have always been fairly indifferent to trend culture, lately my views on certain trends have turned sour. To be clear, I do not think there is anything wrong about watching a popular TV show because it is trending, or listening to a well-liked album. However, most trends (or commercial things) have started to get on my nerves for a variety of reasons.
For starters, trends often lead to overconsumption. The perfect example of this is water bottle trends. Why should something that is supposed to enhance sustainability be a part of trend culture? Why do we need a collection of different Stanley Water Bottles in multiple colors?
Another example of trends that can lead to overconsumption is certain aesthetics rising in popularity, such as the “VSCO girl” look that was popular for a few years. I struggle to understand the concept of changing your look to fit a trend and then changing it again to fit another style that is trending. For example, this could look like changing your makeup style or buying shoes that are really popular at the moment.
This overconsumption also becomes especially frustrating when you realize how short-lived most trends are, which leads to the purchased items being thrown into the trash. Clean girl makeup is deemed dead now and Euphoria makeup is in. An expensively priced bear cup went viral and now it is just another blip in the history of sought-after cups. Why can we not all display some individuality instead of following trends?
This leads into my biggest complaint that I have with trend culture, which is that so many people get lost in trends so easily. Many people seem to forget what makes them special or unique when they blindly follow trends. Furthermore, some of the trends that people follow are also just kind of pointless. The peak of this for me is when Hailey Bieber went viral for eating sushi with a face mask. While I agree that Hailey Bieber, model and founder of Rhode Beauty, is an icon, we have to admit to ourselves that eating sushi with a face mask on is nothing extraordinary. To take it a step further, I would even argue that most TikTok dances are unnecessarily popular. To be clear, there is nothing necessarily wrong with TikTok dances; however, the way they have taken over the Internet is worth questioning. After all, they are just dances. Yet, if you are a non-participator or unaware of them, social pressures to participate in them can be strong.
Overall, I feel like my main dislike for trends comes from the fact that I believe we have a certain responsibility to ourselves to think for ourselves, and not just follow everyone else. I am not saying every trend is bad or that there is anything wrong with participating in some trends, merely that trend culture can be toxic and have negative ramifications. It is crucial for us to maintain our individuality in this crazy world and it would be a good thing to take some of these things into consideration before deciding to follow a trend.