What Happened to Phases?🤔
I saw a video on TikTok a while back, and I don't remember what the video was about, but some girl commented a picture of herself when she was younger and in her comment she said "Sorry I looked chopped." This immedietely didn't sit right with me. Here is some young girl sharing a picture of herself as a kid, and her first thought is to instantly defend herself because she thinks she looks "chopped."
When the term "chopped" first started to become popular I knew it was going to be a problem. Similar to most internet terms, it was just a word my friends and I would jokingly use, but it never truly meant anything to us. Just because we didn't take it seriously though doesn't mean this term didn't hold weight for other people. Take the term "cringe" for example. This used to be a buzz word for so long, and though not too many people still use it, the effects of the word "cringe" still carries weight to this day.
Since the early 2000s-2013 (give or take) phases were all the rage. Through fashion, music, and makeup tweens/young teens would express their interests without care. Sure people might make fun of you but who cared? You were staying true to yourself through self-expression. Around the time that Instagram became extremely popular amongst teens (2011-2014) phases became not only more widespread, but they became more fragmented due to how quickly people's interests changed because of social media. Fast forward to 2021-2026 through the "clean girl aesthetic" and the idea to not be seen as "cringe" "chopped" or significantly different from your peers, tween/teen phases have plummeted.
I'm sure we all remember Justice, KIDZ BOP, fake plastic makeup, and the dread that came once Adult Swim would come on, signifying the end of our nightly cartoons. Now, with young tweens consuming the same type of media as older teens/young adults, they no longer have the same outlets that we did. Young kids are not only very impressionable, but on average they also are pretty insecure. So imagine, a young kid -let's say 10-14- is scrolling on TikTok (because let's be honest even kids younger than 10 have easy access to TikTok) and this kid is absorbing other's opinions without even realizing it. Just by watching videos or reading people's comments, kids can figure out what is deemed "cool" and what is seen as "cringe." If you were to spend a couple hours with young kids in elementary/middle school you will quickly realize just how powerful the fear of being seen as "cringe" or uncool has on these kids. Kids are so afraid of going through an awkward phase that they immediately want to jump from toddlers into mini adults.
Kids aren't the only people who struggle with phases either. In the past couple years, so many people now are claiming to be into fashion. I think this is great! We should all strive to wear clothing that not only makes us feel confident but also helps us express ourselves. Something that I've noticed though is that people are skipping the step where they try out different outfits and styles before they figure out what works best for them, and instead are just instantly recreating other people's outfits and style that they've seen online. There is nothing wrong with having inspiration, but part of the fun when it comes to fashion is discovering what works for you and what doesn't through trial and error.
Makeup is another example of this. I've been doing my own makeup for a couple years now, and whenever people compliment me on my makeup skills I'm always proud of myself because it took a long time for me to achieve the looks that I do today. There were times where I left the house looking a bit crazy but I didn't care because I was figuring out what worked for me.
I think too often people are afraid to step out of their comfort zone and enter a new phase for several different reasons, the main one being the fear of how you will be perceived. There is a meme that I heard once and it's about having to "tone down" your outfits when you hang out with your hometown friends because they don't know about the new phase you are in. I think many people would relate to this.
It can be intimidating to try to experiment with your style/appearance especially when you are older because it can feel "performative" (another buzz word) or make you feel slightly out of place as you are figuring it out. This fear however shouldn't hinder you from stepping into a new version of yourself. Someone who is truly "into fashion" (whatever that may mean to you) isn't going to judge your outfit. We all choose to express ourselves differently and that is the beauty of it. Some of your favorite gym influencers, fashion influencers, and makeup influencers, wouldn't even be able to be your inspiration if they hadn't gone through an experimental phase themselves and stepped out of their comfort zone.
In this day and age we are way too obsessed with image. We strive so hard not to deviate too far from the norm that we end up being carbon copies of each other. This world desperately needs more color and creativity. What's my solution? Enter new phases! Phases don't have to last and it doesn't need to be a complete 180 in your life either. Start implimenting more color in your wardrobe, try a new style, do your hair differently than you normally would, experiment with that new makeup look, wear those socks with your flip flips! Whatever it may be that makes you feel confident, do that! Who cares if people will be shocked with what you are experimenting? There used to be a point in time where you could tell what kind of phase someone was going through just by looking at them, but now we all look like robots. #BringBackPhases!
Hi guys!! I hope you all enjoyed this blog! I think it's beautiful to switch up your style or interests at the drop of a hat lol. Not only does this keep life interesting, but it keeps it fun!
I hope you all had a great week and go on to have an even better weekend.
With Love ALWAYS,
~ Side Note xoxo !!!đź’‹
#BEYOURSELF