Disclaimer: As always, I’m not trying to disrespect anyone; the following is my personal opinion.

I’ve heard the word “squad” tossed around a countless number of times throughout high school. My friends and I have all said it. “Squad picture!” “Can you message the squad group chat?” “Where’s the rest of squad?” It wasn’t until I graduated high school that I realized how much I didn’t like the word. If you google “squad” four definitions come up; the first is “a small group of people having a particular task.” The second is “a small number of soldiers assembled for drill or assigned to some special task….” The third is “a group of sports players or competitors from which a team is chosen.” The fourth and final is “a division of a police force dealing with a particular crime or type of crime.” To summarize, the word “squad” basically means a group of individuals with some common goal or assigned task.

Teenagers, and even some adults, have adapted the word “squad” to mean something slightly different today. Instead of a group of people with a common goal to be achieved or a task to be completed, “squad” has evolved. Now, “squad” is used to describe an individual’s group of friends or the other individuals they associate themselves with. In this day and age, “squad” is essentially a nicer, more laid back way of meaning “clique.” According to google, a clique is “a small group of people, with shared interests or other features in common, who spend time together and do not readily allow others to join them.” Why do people avoid using the word “clique” then? “Clique” implies exclusivity and social elitism. It implies that members of the clique are better than a nonmember in some way. People intentionally don’t use the word “clique” because it has a connotation of superiority, and most individuals don’t want to be thought of as exclusive or snobbish. The word “squad” essentially boils down to having the same meaning as “clique.” A squad is a group of people who spend time together, and most (not all) of the time, members of the squad only spend time with each other without really branching out. Those in a 'squad' are also held to the idea that their fellow squad members are the only people they are able have fun with. In reality, there are so many incredible human beings in this vast universe they just haven’t met yet because they’re too afraid or too unwilling to leave the comforts of the squad.

At the end of the day, we are all unique individuals with different ideas and opinions. No one is better or worse than another. Categorizing ourselves into “squads” also inhibits our personal creativity and freedom. What if you want to do something but your “squad” doesn’t approve? Now, when describing my friend groups, I simply opt to say “my friends.” Anyone can be friends — there’s no need to be part of a squad, where if other squad members don’t like a certain individual, then that individual can’t be part of the squad. We should be able to become friends with anyone of our choosing; we shouldn’t have unspoken rules that dictate the people we can become friends with. Forming groups is human nature. We all want to feel like we belong, but when a group of friends reaches a level of exclusivity, it becomes unhealthy.

Making friends with different types of people allows us to add diversity to our lives. When we form friendships with those who come from different backgrounds, we are able to learn about the world and even life itself. So ultimately, stay humble and be happy. Life’s too short to be part of an exclusive “squad.”