The internet moves fast. We’ve all heard the words “pick me”, “fob” and “performative.” Words that started out as a way to describe a somewhat niche group of people lose their meaning over time and get tagged onto anyone who says the wrong thing, especially online where short clips and videos don’t tell the full story. This culture didn’t start online though, gossip and stereotypes have been around for centuries, social media has just amplified its effects.
When asked about how she thinks social media prevents people from being authentic, grade 12 student Khavya Sivakumar says, “Social media makes people less authentic because everyone is constantly worried about being judged. When you post or even comment on something, there’s always a fear that someone will criticize it, make fun of it, or twist what you meant.” Another grade 12 student, Khushi Modi, who was asked the same question talked about cancel culture saying that, “It is both good and bad due to its ability to spread information and hold people accountable, however it can also be misused and result in individuals being ‘cancelled’ for minor things.” This goes to show how celebrities and influencers have to filter out their opinions and be careful about what they say and do on their platforms, but also how teens think twice before posting a selfie.
The effects of social labels aren’t only a problem online but in the real world too. Whether it’s socially or culturally, we’ve all found ourselves thinking twice about what other people would call us or even changing ourselves to feel more accepted. Sivakumar talks about times she hesitated before expressing an opinion that wasn’t very popular or even complimenting someone too much because she didn’t want to be seen as desperate or fake. From a more cultural perspective, Modi says that while she would never hesitate to express her opinions she was shamed for having an accent when she was younger, causing her to force herself to speak more English and lose her accent.
Overall, social labels definitely stop people from expressing themselves freely both online and in real life. People need to make a collective effort to remove the stigma against being yourself.
THE NORTH STAR 