After watching the PBS video called “Merchants of Cool”, I was kind of surprised that we as Americans not only waste our money on having an organization that studies teens, trends, and what’s hot and what’s not; there are many competing organizations. I wondered to myself, “Why are we wasting our money on determining what’s cool and what teens should wear just so they can become artificially popular for four short years, when the education system is in such dire need and people with PHD’s are flipping burgers for a living”? I was even more personally disgusted and troubled when these so called “trend spotters” mainly focused on teens that were “individuals”, who were actually just the teens that stood out by having the most self mutilation; i.e. tattoos and piercings.
I do feel that I can break away from the system by not buying into the brands and being an actual individual, normal person. Someone who’s not trying to fit in or be the “IT” girl, but is comfortable with who they are and the friends they have. It’s not difficult to break from trends. The only thing you don’t have to do is sell yourself for a label; that is changing who you are to fit the trend of that time, day, or year. Don’t keep inconsistencies, because if you’re trying to be something you’re not, no one really knows the real you; and in this case, who do you have to call a friend?