We’ve all had an experience that makes us feel like we are the star in our own coming-of-age film. Whether it’s a music and laughter filled car ride late at night, a day spent exploring a new city on your own or even idealizing a trip to the grocery store with your mom, there are plenty of fleeting moments in life that make us feel like we are up there on the big screen. One of the latest social media trends is changing up the idea of what it means to feel like a “main character.”
The “Being the Main Character” trend focuses on romanticizing the everyday things that you do and that happen to you as if they were playing out on the silver screen. “Main Character Syndrome” is purely a socially constructed idea, not a legitimate diagnosis or studied idea by psychologists… at least not yet. The idea blossomed on social media as a way for young adults to make doing their day-to-day tasks a little more bearable. If it all seems like a derivation of the “you have to start romanticizing your life…” TikTok trend, that’s because they tend to go hand-in-hand.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to add a little spice to your life by setting your daily to-do’s to your favorite soundtrack as if it’s being edited by a big name movie editor. In fact, for the most part, it’s an entirely harmless way to help people find a little bit more peace in the chaos of this crazy world. In an article for InsideHook, psychiatry resident Dr. Patricia Celan explains that the point is “to find meaning and logic in life’s experiences.” She continues to go in depth in explaining why the trend is a positive way to add some glamour and fun to the monotony of life.
According to Refinery29, “the ‘main character’ meme indulges that desire to be seen.” It’s a way to fulfill the human desire for attention by assuming that everybody that you come in casual contact with throughout the day is thinking about you…and not in a Joe Goldberg, obsession way.
However, depending on the context of the situation, it’s not always a positive way to describe someone. Calling someone a “main character” can also insinuate that said person is self-absorbed and tends to exist only in their own version of reality. Being the “main character” was created with the idea to make one another laugh and get a little glimpse into the shared experiences that we all have. It was not intended to be a way for people to make everything all. About. Them. Playing off self-absorption and narcissism as “being the main character” causes a negative connotation to overcome the mainly innocent trend.
Nevertheless, it’s important to close on the fact that it’s okay to feel like you’re a side character sometimes. It’s even okay to feel like you’re a side character all the time. In most movies and books, the main character wouldn’t survive without the help of the trusty side character(s). It can be understandably difficult for many to feel comfortable when receiving attention, which is a major side-effect of being “the main character.” Having all eyes on you can add unnecessary pressure and anxiety, so feel free to settle into the idea that having more of a side-character personality is just as valid.
Being the star of the show might not be for everyone, but keep in mind that sometimes even the most generic days can still have cinematic moments if you remember to march to the beat of your own drum.