Choose Your Character…or Not!
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We’ve all heard of the classic stereotypes society has always assigned to each other: the nerds, the jocks, the troublemakers and all of the other slightly offensive and highly judgemental categories. In the world of social media, these stereotypes have only been taken to the next level.
Recently, popular TikTok trends have cultivated social media personas, such as the “cool girl” or “soft girl” aesthetics, which describe trendy ways that different people present themselves to the world. These trending stereotypes may not be the classics we are used to seeing in 90s teen movies, but they’re influencing people down to the clothes they choose to wear, what pictures they post, and what activities or hobbies they take part in.
The “cool girl” is effortlessly intriguing. She is naturally stunning, with her outfits being chic and often neutral, but never boring. She goes out with friends for drinks on rooftop bars and wakes up the next morning with a green tea smoothie. The “cool girl” is powerful, mysterious, and her Instagram is full of low-exposure, slightly blurry photos.
The “soft girl” radiates femininity. She wears color, often pastels. She is academic but gracefully embraces the ebbs and flows of life. Her favorite emojis are the butterfly and the cloud, and she is kind and genuine by nature.
I could go on and on describing different “characters” social media has created, including the “egirl,” the “baddie,” and of course, the “coastal grandma” (which contrary to popular belief, does not mean you actually are a grandma). These trends are not limited to just fashion, but they define complete lifestyles based simply on aesthetics.
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Although these trends gained popularity, there are many issues that they ignore, as any stereotype often does.
First, there is often a diversity issue created in the portrayal of these personas. As stereotypes do by nature, they create specific images of people in these categories, but they often fail to include people of different racial backgrounds, body shapes, or genders where the trends originated in the first place.
There is also the problem that we love to put people into boxes. Although it’s not as common to refer to someone as a “jock” today, society found new ways to categorize and influence people into thinking they must be defined by a certain category of their choice.
Image Courtesy: Pinterest
As these trends have gained popularity, more and more people are curating their lives to achieve novel-like personas that are driven by societal pressures. The reality is this: we do not have to choose a character to live. One day we can be ambitious and the other we can be creative. One day we may want to be preppy and the next we may want to be edgy. The truth is that most of us are more dynamic than the personas created by society.
We have to break the stigma that someone can only fit into one category. It’s okay to be a little bit all over the place; in fact, it is something to be proud of. Whatever you do in life, do it in pursuit of staying true to yourself and who you desire to be, no matter the stereotypes you may shatter.
Strike Out,
Caroline Kostuch
Editor: Gianna Rodriguez
Athens