Cool Doesn’t Connect People, Curiosity Does
By Stella Speridon-Violet
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In this world, people tend to stick to aesthetics or follow trends spread by their favorite influencers, closing themselves off to the real world in front of them.
Hobbies have become a lost art, and so has socializing, because we have nothing to talk about other than what we see on our phones.
People used to tell stories about trying out a new skill or a new favorite coffee shop they stumbled upon on a walk home, and now these once “hidden gems” are plastered all over TikTok.
Things that used to be niche now have their own tag on Reddit with over 100,000 users, and once things get “popular,” it's deemed “overhyped” or taken over by TikTok, and it's on to the next.
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People rarely choose individuality because of the fear of judgment they might receive from strangers on the internet about their style choices or taste in movies.
So, the most viable option would be to conform to what we see on our screens, rather than creating our own life that doesn’t need to be shared on socials or doesn’t care to hear from those who may not see the vision.
Those so tightly glued to their screens are the ones not truly experiencing all life has to offer; it fuels hatred, insecurity, and unoriginality. We’ve lost touch with the people around us and lost what it truly means to connect.
Open conversations with strangers about nearly anything without the need to exchange socials on a night out has become nothing but a pastime.
I love connecting with people, but sometimes a fleeting moment is exactly what I need. Telling a stranger all of my secrets—waiting for my ride, knowing that I’ll never see them again—is liberating.
Talking about my hopes and dreams with friends who want nothing other than to see me succeed and vice versa keeps me honest and hopeful. We don’t need screens to tell us who we want to be and what is going on in our lives; we just need ourselves.
There’s a certain phrase I hear often from my friends after a night out: “You know it was a good night when none of us posted on our private stories.”
A simple, yet joyous phrase that reminds us that we lived in the moment. Drinking and dancing the night away with our phones in our pockets, enjoying one another’s company.
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One more recent story that reminded me of individuality was on National Bunny Day, a day that to most may be forgotten, but to my friends, turned into a night of celebration.
To be honest with you, I had no clue it was National Bunny Day, but my friends did, showing up to the club with a bunny hat that became a conversation starter and a photo op all night long.
Little celebrations of individuality gain you conversations with strangers, complimenting your unique hat with a little prepared fact of the day. But more importantly, it gives us a chance to express ourselves.
The fear that people may not like you will ultimately stop you from succeeding at anything in your life. Going up to someone who has a top that you like or looks like they’d have a good conversation closes doors.
In the short term, maybe you did save yourself from embarrassment in that one moment, but maybe you just lost your chance at an opportunity that won’t come along again.
Being curious, unique, and willing to learn will grant you great memories and opportunities to take in all that life can offer.
So, I urge you to try something new, or release that video that’s been sitting in your drafts, or at the very least, to stop caring about what people think because believe me… they are more interested in what everyone else is thinking of them.
