We live in a world of overwhelming choices. We have to constantly choose even the simplest of things like what to wear, what to eat, etc. A lot of different things influence our choices. Of course, in this era of booming capitalism, your financial situation plays the biggest role when making this decision.
If we're lucky enough to have funds, we look for convenience, comfort, and health. I don't know how true this is for everyone but a good amount of people ranging from 14- to 25-years-old tend to look beyond those qualities in the things they adopt as a part of their daily activity.
We like to utilize the opportunity for self-expression, to give people a glimpse of who we are and what we like. Everywhere you look, you will see people trying to dress a certain way, create a particular aesthetic that they want to display. It so happens that a majority of people end up liking a lot of similar things, which doesn't seem to bother the people involved but for some reason, it really affects those who don't. This makes them want to give a negative connotation to things that are widely liked, giving birth to the new meaning behind the word basic.
I'm not going to lie, I have used it multiple times. I have also been called it so many times that it really got to me. I would go shopping for clothes or shoes or bags and sometimes really like a particular item but deem it not good enough because I had seen so many people use it and didn't want to come off as someone who just blends in with the crowd.
I recently saw this article that was titled something along the lines, of "Lack of individuality is making everyone dress the same," and I thought to myself that it's so ridiculous to constantly reprimand people for liking popular things because they are, in fact, popular for a reason. The things we like aren't basic, they are basic because we like them.
It's also very noticeable that girls are more likely to be called this term than boys. Just like with everything else in this messed up world, they're not under as much scrutinization from the general public. You will see young men wearing the same three shirts and this one pair of Jordan's that they bought two years ago, while the same individuals will arrogantly smirk and make some ridiculous comment about a girl because she was wearing an outfit she put thought into and was excited to show off just because they've seen other girls wear something similar.
On this overpopulated planet, everyone strives for individuality. Calling someone basic is so unfair because you're telling them that liking popular things makes them lose their uniqueness and you're practically dissing their whole personality. Especially since nowadays, a good majority of the youth likes to keep a good social image, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
We as a species are social animals and the very foundation of our psychology includes the need for social approval. If you call people basic because of the things they like, you attack their self-image and make them conscious and honestly, it's really none of anyone's business to be that judgmental. It's toxic for you as well as the person you talk about.
A person's hobby very much can be dressing a certain way, listening to their favorite genre of music or buying certain products that are fascinating to them, and everyone should be allowed to have a hobby as long as it doesn't harm others. So as long as someone isn't using their clothes to strangle you, you really shouldn't be bothered enough to make negative comments. Let people enjoy the basic things, there are much more concerning things to worry about in this world.
