Mariko Garrett is a journalism freshman and Mustang News opinion columnist. The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Mustang Media Group.
It doesn’t take five seconds of scrolling on TikTok before you’re bombarded with “niche” outfit ideas, “niche” hobbies for the winter, “niche” vacation spots and “niche” music to listen to.
It seems as though everyone is trying to be “niche” – a buzzword that is being used in excess on social media to describe something underground or endlessly unique. But striving to be this person isn’t worth it, especially in college.
While the term “niche” promotes uniqueness as a positive attribute, going to a hidden gem in Italy or listening to an underground indie rock band just because someone on the internet told you to isn’t unique – you’re just being influenced. Truth be told, it is possible to see a TikTok or an Instagram post on a topic that piques your interest. At the same time, acting like it’s now your “niche” interest isn’t even true, because you saw it and so did thousands of others.
The desire to be included is a major part of human nature. We’ve all experienced feeling left out at some point in our lives. However, attempting to be cool and “niche” in order to fit in doesn’t allow for deep connections based on your character in the real world. The clothes you wear, the music you listen to, and the hidden coffee shop you always study at hardly even cover the depth of your character.
Additionally, college is a time for you to make lifelong relationships with people you can trust. The people who want to be associated with you strictly on the basis of liking your outfit or thinking your Instagram feed is “aesthetic” are not usually friends who will last you a lifetime.
It isn’t really worth it to conform to this image of yourself for external validation from peers on campus and strangers on the internet because these aren’t the relationships that will be there five years from now.
Not to mention, you’re also draining yourself by constantly worrying about and changing according to what other people think because you’re not being true to you.
It is so crucial during your college years that you find what truly interests you. College is the best time for you to discover community, explore adulthood and find a balance between personal life and academic or professional endeavors. You will be exponentially happier by the end of four years spent ignoring how everyone else perceives you.
Take this scenario as an example. One day, you’re scrolling on TikTok. You see a slideshow post titled “Niche Books I’m Reading This October.” It has approximately 24,500 likes and 100,000 views. You immediately save this post and go to your Goodreads to add all these books to your reading list, thinking you’ve struck gold.
You’re finally going to have the “niche” book fall that you’ve been looking forward to for months. But consider this: 100,000 other people on the internet saw the same post as you, and to add fuel to the fire, 24,500 people enjoyed the book recommendations so much that they double-tapped and liked the post. That is a lot of people.
When you put the numbers into perspective, these book recommendations are no longer “niche,” they’re just book recommendations. This is what makes striving to be a “niche” individual an obsolete effort. As harsh as it is, there are simply too many people on social media and in the world to think that you are the only one interested in something.
That being said, your life isn’t a performance. You don’t need to constantly shift your interests and bend your values simply because it’s not “niche” anymore. So, ask yourself these three questions:
- What do I actually like to do when I’m not on my phone?
- What are the values I stand by?
- How can I represent these values and my character through actions instead of my appearance or online presence?
So what if your favorite song is “Summertime Sadness” by Lana Del Rey? Who cares if you only drink coffee? Does it really matter if you wear leggings and sweaters every day? These are the things that bring joy to your life and fill your cup. Don’t leave that cup half full for the approval of others.
In my books, the people who stay true to themselves, have hobbies that genuinely excite them and just live their lives are infinitely cooler than those who are actively trying to be seen as cool.