How Aesthetics are Ruining Individualism

In recent years, due to the rise of social media, it seems that you are never that far from an indoctrinating post about the newest trend cycle or ‘aesthetic’ that is in trend at that time.

It becomes tiresome and boring observing the endless stream of tick box items and attitudes one may need to be a part of an ‘aesthetic’. My personal argument is that the insatiable need to be told what to do and wear to fit into a certain ‘aesthetic’ has led to a lack of individuality in people and also a lack of tolerance for uniqueness within Gen Z.

So firstly, what on earth is an ‘aesthetic’? Well, throughout the last few years, on social media forums such as Tiktok or Instagram, creators gain traction from creating videos fitting into an ‘aesthetic’. Some of the most popular one’s of recent years include Cottagecore, Dark academia, Old Money and Y2k.

Now some more optimistic people may say that these ‘aesthetics’ are just a harmless way of people being part of an online group of like-minded individuals. However, I completely disagree with that point. Instead, I believe that what these online groups are doing is placing these people, who in the majority are young and impressionable, into small groups which believe that they themselves are the best of all the ‘aesthetics’.

Witnessing it myself, it seems to me an online version of the ‘cliques’ presented in cheesy American High School films, not something really to be enthusiastic over. I’m not saying that people cannot follow a certain trend or style, what I am saying is that it becomes problematic when a new trend emerges every couple months. Young people who are influenced by these ‘aesthetic’ cycles, are losing their own individuality in order to complete a set of tasks set by someone they haven’t met and will most likely never meet.

It is also a vast contributing factor to the rise in fast fashion chains such as Shein, which has been labelled among the worst fast fashion retailers for emissions and sustainability efforts. Furthermore, the cycle of poorly made clothes being flown across the world because people are obsessed with a certain ‘aesthetic’ on Tiktok is the precise reason why we have such a drastic environmental problem in the world at the moment.

What could be seen as a harmless hobby for young people actually does have a domino effect on the rest of the world. People should be more considerate when viewing these videos and when choosing to purchase clothing and items from fast fashion retailers such as Shein.

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