The Chokehold of a Trend

The absolute chokehold that trends have on society is mind blowing to me...and sometimes without us even realizing it. Whether it be ballet flats, latest TikTok sounds, audio erotica, the color red, and so on and so forth, these movements have become such a backbone in our culture. I always pride myself on staying on top of most trends that are going on, but as I start to hyper-analyze myself, I began to wonder why I care so much? Why do I base so much of my self worth on what keeps me relevant? I looked at the psychology behind why we, as young people, are so hooked on staying up to date on trends and what's going on in fashion and society. I feel like we are so hooked on trying to be the coolest and trendiest version of ourselves, when we should just focus on simply being ourselves. What trend has you on a chokehold?