In the vast, worldwide social media ecosystem, influencers have carved out their own niches, curating their content to fit their chosen aesthetic. We’ve all seen these influencers in one form or the other.
As I scroll through my social media feed, I see ‘that girl’ with her green smoothies and daily yoga sessions; the nomad-style fishermen under the hashtag catch and cook; the dark academia girl exploring a dimly-lit, medieval Gothic-esq library.
Influencers confine themselves to their niche, showcasing their one unique quality to such an extreme it becomes all-consuming–their whole online personality. In their quest to present themselves in a calculated, cohesive manner, these influencers send a message to us that it’s normal, even aspirational, to stick to one aesthetic. But this is simply not real life. We are all complex, chaotic concoctions of undefined aesthetics, vastly different from one day, one month, one year to the next.
Whilst knowing all this, we, consumers, still gravitate toward such singular personas, our demand leading to the rise of one-dimensional influencers. We follow them, expecting a certain kind of content because it’s easy to digest. But as influencers stray further from the beaten path of their narrow identity, they risk marketability and fewer user interactions.
A gym bro starts posting about his family? No thanks, I only followed for the workout advice. A conventionally attractive person wants to share their hot take on our political climate? Be prepared for the “I only followed because you’re pretty, unfollowing.”
It’s a relentless cycle: singular confirmative posts fuel consumer expectations, which in turn stifle any other form of self-expression. There’s a reason ‘cottagecore girl’ is rarely seen in a city setting and ‘Christian Autumn girl’ goes into hibernation after Thanksgiving. It simply does not fit the curated vibe. When conforming to microtrends, it becomes so easy for consumers to forget the person behind the account can be complex, multi-faceted, and capable of change—a dangerous mindset that can easily take over real life interactions.
This destructive, unchanging mentality continues to haunt us in our offline lives. The small changes we make, like the ‘put-together girl’ going out without makeup or the ‘cozy girl’ taking the time to dress up often leads to backhanded comments. “You look tired,” they tell the barefaced girl. To the dressed up one, they ask “What’s the occasion?” as if wanting to change one’s appearance must not stem from one’s own free will. While seemingly harmless, these kinds of judgment tinged comments are what keep people stagnant, stationary in their singular, comfortable aesthetic.
While it’s easy to tell others to step outside of the trend, actually exiting the loop–something ingrained in our very minds–is much more difficult. Instead, we should be more welcoming of the uncategorized person, the one who can just be themself.
After all, the beauty in human nature lies not in our ability to contort into neat boxes tied with a ribbon, but in our innate drive to sidestep expectations and forge our own paths.
