There will always be a new trend. Demure, bows, brat summer, ‘ice cream scoop’ haircut, buzz cut, a new song/dance, etc. But they will always be shown in different social situations. This can range from a small friend group doing something to a school-wide trend.

But sadly, we live in an era where these same things that can be seen as something to unite people can also be used for the wrong reasons to hurt one another.

Let’s put this into perspective…

Bullying. A real problem in this generation. Anyone can be bullied for any reason. So with this let’s say that a group of people are participating in a trend and all have the same thing. Now they know someone who doesn’t have this or isn’t participating in the trend and begin trying to degrade them and mess with their head.

I asked Shyleen Khan, a freshman if she ever noticed trends when she was younger, and she said, “In fourth grade, I was part of a trio. Without telling me they bought matching shirts and mine was different, and they were just matching without me. It really affected me for a while after because I thought they were my friends.”

Now this person consciously or even subconsciously will be affected by this matter. Meaning maybe they will forever be afraid of being left out and excluded, or maybe they will always fall in line and do the same things that everyone else is doing.

But trends can also be a wonderful and uniting thing for the same reasons. Everyone is doing it, now whether or not they realize it they will all be semi-bonded by this universal experience. This can even come from something that we all did as kids, which was our first interactions with trends.

For example, think of something that you used to do when you were a kid. Now ask your friends about it. Have they ever done it? My guess, most likely. Because when we were younger almost everyone participated in trends knowingly or not.

I asked Miranda Infante, a freshman,  what current trends she liked at the moment and she told me, “ I LOVE the bow trend. Like putting bows on everything. I think it’s so cute and girly, it just makes me happy.”

Showing that no matter what there are always two sides to everything. While something may seem good on paper, it can be drastically different under the surface.

All in all, trends are important not just in the way that it benefits companies that are either making the products or something that is part of the trend but it also helps us grow as individuals and as a generation. So, whatever you do. Participate in trends or not, be kind, be respectful, and acknowledge that everyone is a human being with feelings.