It’s trendy to be a hater now, and being different is all the rage! In today’s society hating something is much easier than being a fan. All over social media, passionate fanatics get “hated on” for owning their interests that are seen as mainstream and boring. It spans every entertainment and creative enterprise; your love for basic fashion, music, film, or even literature can land you in a niche section of social media exile. The cliche “no bond is stronger than one between two people who hate the same thing” is a cliche for a reason. Hating is one of the easiest ways to make yourself belong somewhere; by alienating others, you are making yourself desirable. Commenting “side eye” on someone’s innocent TikTok video is an easy way to insert yourself into an inside joke with thousands of people, giving many internet users the attention they crave If you think this is an activity that was born with social media, you’re wrong. 

One of the most prolific haters in our nation’s history is none other than Theodore Roosevelt’s first-born daughter, Alice Roosevelt. Her life was full of scandal, yet she managed to keep the citizens of Washington D.C. loving her. Wondering how? Mrs. Roosevelt was famously known for her self-embroidered pillow that read, “If you can’t say something good about someone, sit right here by me.” She very well may be our first famous shit-talker, and this characteristic of hers kept people coming back for more. There is a plethora of scientific evidence explaining peoples’ attraction to hatred. 

Jennifer Bosson, a scientist who researches the hater’s mind, found that having a common hatred brings people closer than anything else. Bosson explains that the reason these bonds are so strong is that everyone says nice things, that’s what’s expected, but really tearing into something together is not necessarily acceptable, creating a secret two people now share together. But what happens when hating isn’t so secret anymore? Or when most forms of entertainment are based on the theme of bashing someone or something else? Social media creates an environment where hating is exceedingly easy. One thing that’s become increasingly hated is anything labeled as “basic.” 

On social media, specifically Twitter and TikTok, there are large populations of people who curate an image for themselves seen as “different” and “not like other girls.” These groups bond over their strong desire to own things and act in certain ways that they self-title as indie and special. People sucked into this culture are blinded to the fact that in the process of trying to be different, they’ve made an entire personality type that is similar to a huge percentage of internet users. Watching videos of people styling their Adidas Sambas under a sound making fun of those who wear Nike Air Forces is a prime example of this mindset. The Samba wearer thinks of themself as a higher being for having these popular shoes that they see as unique. They seem painfully unaware of the fact that they are just taking part in the new trend in the same way that those who own the Nike shoe do. Many young people who cling to trends are those trying to figure out who they are. It’s the same for haters. Both groups will do anything they can to hide their insecurity in their sense of self, or they fully believe they have found themselves and are unique. What separates haters though, is they try to find themselves by making fun of those more willing to admit to their lack of individuality. This fear of being conceived as boring or normal causes more problems than hate comments. 

Overconsumption in the fashion industry is an issue more and more people are becoming aware of. However, many think that only fast-fashion buyers are guilty contributors. The fear of lacking individuality leads to the following of trends more than someone who follows them on purpose, many who hate on-trend followers are constantly buying new, unique pieces of clothing just to say they own them. A new example of these kinds of purchases includes the new MSCHF red boots. You know ‘em, you love ‘em, but can you really wear ‘em? TikTok is flooded with videos of fashion creators trying to successfully, and safely, style these unconventional shoes. One creator, Wisdom Kaye, even had to cut holes in the backs just to rip them off his feet. These boots are booming right now, but the likelihood of them remaining in the limelight for very long is slim. They are a tear-jerkingly expensive micro-trend. 

Thrifting is one of our generation’s favorite pastimes that makes people feel unique and separated from trends. Although buying second-hand clothing is much better for the environment, going weekly and buying things because they’re vintage and cheap, rather than having a genuine attraction to them is a bad habit many can admit to having. Thrift stores provide tons of different pieces, but the rows of potential “jackpot finds” can suck shoppers into a mindset of buying everything that will be perceived as slightly quirky and cool. Thrifting itself is now a trend, making the impossibility of avoiding trends blatantly obvious. 

The mission of avoiding trends is one destined for failure, and the harder you try, the deeper you ascend into the wormhole of fashion trends. Fearing what’s been done before is holding you back from doing and wearing things you actually enjoy. Finding a style that makes you feel comfortable solely because you enjoy every item in your closet is more unique than finding a borderline ugly sweater at the thrift store you’ll wear once because it’s so itchy. Purposely avoiding trends may make you “not like other girls,” but now it also makes you just like all the other girls.