BY MADI ZHOU ’28
When was the last time you did something out of genuine interest? Look past the Sonny Angels and Smiskis, and look at yourself in the mirror. Who and what are you really, beyond the trendy Clairo, “Valorant”, and fast fashion brands?
Everyone seeks validation, especially teenagers. How does one make a genuine connection in this day and age amid all the fake interests that people hide behind? It’s hard to make real connections when people hide behind trends instead of being themselves and finding their own interests, identities, and individuality.
I spoke with students and adults at Jericho High School to get to the bottom of this generation’s performative zeitgeist.
Guidance Counselor Mr. Di Wu believed that social media plays a big part in teenagers losing sight of their true selves in favor of trendiness. Mr. Wu said, “Because of the access to social media and the internet, you’re seeing not just your immediate friends, you see people from the next town or the next county; you’re watching all these things, and you immediately feel like ‘Oh, this is the trendiest thing.’”
Many students find that their peers are no longer genuine in their interests and that it is difficult to make genuine connections. The reason? Others do not share the same interests, or even have their own distinct interests, because they prioritize wanting to fit in with the crowd.
Jericho student Allegra C. ’27 agreed with Mr. Wu in that technology–namely social media–is causing teenagers to lack an identity and to therefore be performative. Allegra said, “I feel like a lot of people are now just doing whatever they think is trending or what they see on social media instead of just trying to develop themselves.”
Solomon K. ’27, on the other hand, believes that building connections and identity is easier because of the internet. Solomon said, “I think it’s actually easier [to make connections] because of the internet. People have more specific interests and hyperfixations.”
Solomon attributed the source of disingenuity and overall confusion in identity to students’ obsession with school. He said, “In school, it’s harder because we focus so much on studies, we have less time to really talk about stuff that we like. But I think as a whole, [talking about identity and interests] is hard to do in person.”
Students and teachers both associated the lack of teenage individuality with the rise of social media in the past few years. And while we can identify the cause of this issue, we should also wonder: Is there an answer to the identity crisis of today’s media-focused society? What will be the cost?
Mr. Wu predicted many consequences of teenagers’ obsession with following trends. He worried that people may never be truly content with what they have, and that they will require trends to feel fulfilled.
We all follow trends, but at some point, it becomes an obsession, culminating in an entire identity. So, look in the mirror and think about who you truly are. What do you enjoy besides Labubus and Dubai Chocolate? If you can’t answer that, then it might be time to unplug and find yourself.
