The Loss of an Original Opinion

As social media has become a daily factor in my life, I’ve found myself relying more and more on what other people think. Not even what they think of me, but of what they think of a video I watched or a picture I scrolled upon. I open the comments before I even form an opinion of my own, and what other people have written becomes my opinion too. If I liked the video I watched, that opinion changes right as the comments appear. Suddenly, I see the reasons that people disliked the video more clearly than the reason I liked it. 

Most recently, the tankini trend has surfaced. In past summers, the smaller the bikini, the better. However, this summer seems to be taking a turn towards modesty. Some girls are annoyed at tankinis being the new “it” swimwear. Who’s going to tell them that they don’t have to follow the trends? This is what I mean when I say that original opinions are dying out. You can wear whatever you want to, regardless of the trends. You didn’t waste all your money on bikinis; you bought swimwear that you like. When a new trend comes out, many assume they have to hop on it or be left behind. Just once, I want these people to try being left behind, so they can see that they can have their own opinions about trends. You are allowed to like or not like a trend, or in my case, a video! 

What harm can it do to follow the crowd? If I’m an agreeable person, and I like what everyone else likes, doesn’t that make me an easy person to get along with? To this, I say no. Who are you if your opinions can be heard from someone else’s mouth? I want to hear what you have to say: Not your friends, not your family, not some random person in the comments, but your opinion. Sometimes, everyone else’s opinion isn’t the right one. Just because the masses think it’s the right way, that doesn’t make it right. Don’t stand in the comfort of the crowd with an opinion that you wouldn’t have formed without their influence. It’s okay to stand out and think differently. 

Challenge your brain, do your research, and decide for yourself. The world won’t crumble down when someone differs from the crowd; it might actually make it better. This is a beautiful and diverse place. If we all thought the same, we would be so bored, with nothing to talk about and disagree on. Opinions make the world go round, or at least make it interesting.