Is it just me or is social media making people more basic?

[Cloutius Maximus]

I don't mean basic in regards to not being fly but people are almost becoming boxed into a few archetypes.

i was watching this


and felt like a similar thing is happening to people. I remember in high school you had jocks, hipsters, nerds, gangstas, hip-hop heads, stoners, skaters, emo kids, dusty kids who loved anime and hung out near the art classes in the back, preppy kids who wore lacoste and abercrombie, cholos and cholitas, etc. There was a little overlap (some skaters were stoners) but there were more lanes to choose from.

Now it feels like people are getting consolidated into a few smaller lanes. Everybody listening to the same music for the most part, we watch the same shyt on streaming services, using the same slang, eating the same food, etc.

Now the only meaningful difference between people is gender, race & political affiliation. I've noticed in the last year I could talk to American women of various races, genders & types (goth, career focused chick, spiritual chick, hoodrat) and they all using the same slang terms and buzzwords to the point I know how they will respond to shyt before they do.

Everybody rock champion and forces / dunks now. Everybody want a "thicc AF goth gf" now wtf is that shyt. I thought this was just online but NO people talk like this in real life now. I dunno man i'm high and this shyt is weird

 

[Kasgoinjail]

Good observation

 

[NoirDynosaur]

It's Conformity. Before 2016, IG was a outlet for freedom of expression. Every IG chick wants to be a wannabee Cardi B or Kim Kardashian

 

[BelieveBeOK]

Social media has this way of presenting itself as real life when it's actually very far from it. People are still people outside of their phones so I disagree.

 

[Pool_Shark]

I think it’s just you.

 

[StretfordRed]

Everyone wants to be on the same trend.

Evident in those #xyzChallange trends which are just stupid.

 

[Manolo]

It’s true, I was recently talking about this with a friend. I think social media has created more pressure to fit in for the sake of followers and likes, which makes people want to resemble what’s already accepted as opposed to staying true to their real identity. It seems like before 2000, people thrived on trying to stand out as much as possible, from athletes to musicians. Now it’s the opposite

 

[Cloutius Maximus]

Social media has this way of presenting itself as real life when it's actually very far from it. People are still people outside of their phones so I disagree.

i'm talking about how people communicate and fashion for the most part, along with political ideologies.

if social media were real life everybody would be upper middle class at least

 

[jj23]

Homogenisation. When you live on social media and allow it to educate you and influence you there aren't any happy endings.

Humans forget to be human and love off algorithms.

 

[Cloutius Maximus]

I think it’s just you.

i'm not the only one with this observation tho


"Among the problems plaguing this generation and the generations to come, one of the most frightening is a rapid decline in individuality. People are becoming more susceptible to things considered trendy or acceptable in the public eye. This increase in conformity is a result of various social media people are being introduced to at increasingly younger ages.

An article from The Independent by Grace Fearon supports the idea that social media is a direct cause of decreased individuality among young people.

“Yet, far from a true reflection of our character,” writes Fearon, “perhaps our identity within society can become a carefully constructed illusion. Think about your own social media accounts, for instance – are they an honest representation of yourself? Or are you, perhaps, even unwittingly creating an image that is socially enhancing, one that will allow you to be perceived as popular or well-liked?” From my personal experience this can ring very true as I’ve noticed people close to me change to conform to a societal expectation.

When people want to appear successful and be accepted by society and everyone around them, it’s easy to get caught up in the mix of wanting to appear a certain way. This can make people lose touch with who they really are and what really pleases them. A cause of the increase in conformity lies in the availability of social media. It’s incredibly easy to access and view, making social media the perfect outlet for spreading information to a much broader audience.

“By 2011, approximately 83% of Fortune 500 companies were using some form of social media to connect with consumers. Furthermore, surveys suggest that consumers are increasingly relying on social media to learn about unfamiliar brands,” according to the American Marketing Association (AMA) journal. Social media can make information more accessible but it can also shape much deeper issues such as appearance and sexuality.

A blog called the “Literary Blues” by Tristan Naraine goes further into this idea, raising important issues about what social media potentiates. Naraine talks about how with popular social figures and celebrities, there are indirect social constructs being built around a person’s appearance and their gender that pushes norms on younger audiences by providing images of what can be interpreted to be “good” or “ideal.” This information is broadcast on many social media outlets making the pictures, tweets, and information readily available to anyone who uses the platform. The target audience is anyone and everyone."

 

[LezJepzin]

It’s true, I was recently talking about this with a friend. I think social media has created more pressure to fit in for the sake of followers and likes, which makes people want to resemble what’s already accepted as opposed to staying true to their real identity. It seems like before 2000, people thrived on trying to stand out as much as possible, from athletes to musicians. Now it’s the opposite

This.

 

[kevm3]

Ultimately, thats the point of all of this social media. It's a giant social control experiment. If they can get people from all over the world talking and acting alike, it just goes to show you the power they have over society by carefully controlling the information that gets filtered into their feeds.

 

[old_timer]

I think social media showcases how uncreative and unoriginal most people are
You see them full out doing max effort to get attention
And it just ain't happening for them
So they attach to a host and act as a parasite
Using activity to push themselves forward

I mean, if alien invaders held a gun to humanity's heads and demanded we each write our best 5000 word essay
How many people would actually have something to say?
How many would even know where to start??
Many are devoid of original thought.. Hiding behind spammish one liners and smilies and props

 

[Redwood]

Ironically I find this to be nothing new. I think all this was bound to happen.

 

[Serious]

I think it’s just you.

Nah he's right, there some incident that happened today, and I had to pause for a sec, because a lily white person was using our slang to describe something.


Or think like this......


White chicks be using the term fukk boy ......


How the fukk is that their term.