As a college student, I have to do many things by myself on a daily basis. Whether it's studying, eating, or going to the gym, it's just me, myself and I. By doing so I run the risk of being called a loner. I think that a lot of people in our generation are afraid of being called loners so it causes them to desperately hang out with someone or they will just avoid the activity altogether. This mentality comes from a point earlier in our lives when we were first introduced to the concept.
Let's backtrack a little to high school where the only thing that was independent were our schedules. I was with my group of friends five out of the six hours we were in school everyday. If they stayed home from school, I stayed home. If they weren't going to a school event neither was I. I didn't want to be at the lunch table or in gym class by myself because then I would get made fun of.
Why does it have to be that way? Why do we feel the need to judge someone for just being on their own? Maybe their friend couldn't make it? Or maybe they just wanted to do it and no one was available but they did it anyway? What a crazy idea.
I'm not saying that you shouldn't hang out with your friends. It's always great to have people around you that support you and make you happy. However, when you rely on someone to be there just so you can complete a simple task, you have a huge problem.
I think we should stop the stigma of doing things alone. We have to teach the younger generation that it's perfectly alright to go to the movies by yourself. We also need to not judge someone for doing so, and with that, there will be a change.
