Living Outside the Drama
I don’t know about you, but I’m one of the few who doesn’t use TikTok or Twitter or some other “basic” forms of social media (outside of some major portals like Instagram, Snapchat, and Pinterest). For me, I seem to get enough social media interaction without dealing with serious drama and news. However, sometimes I feel like I’m out of the loop of my own generation.
Then again, what generation do I fall into? Maybe some of you fall in those awkward years ranging from 1996–2000. The numbers always change based on the person writing the article, but I believe this is the closest and most accurate time frame according to the popular societal events surrounding them.
For me, I don’t really feel like I identify with either Millennial or Gen Z cultures. It’s almost like I live vicariously through both groups without being fully involved in the social drama that goes on. Personally, I don’t mind where I’m at because I don’t get associated with one culture or the next. It’s exhausting trying to defend your name when someone negatively associates you with a generational title. I mean, how frustrated would you be if you were absolutely chill with life and suddenly someone judges you based off a popular social media phenomenon that a handful of people from your generation are involved in? I hate the false labeling based off the minority popularity. Like, thanks for representing our generation. Everyone thinks all _________ are uptight or careless or whatever the insult may be. Can’t we just be people who have different life experiences based on the times we were born in? We don’t even get to control that fact about ourselves anyway! So, why is there so much hate over the most ridiculous things?
Maybe I’m too “out of the loop” and don’t understand the real issues at hand. But fighting over a side part and middle part? Arguing over a labelling of stretchy pants? This isn’t exactly an important problem that needs excessive repeating. A part of me thinks these trends stem from the societal ideal and not always being able to meet them. Believe me, low rise jeans are cool. If I felt comfortable wearing them and had the body that was associated with it, I would be excited or even proud to wear them. The same can be said about any other clothing article, though. It’s just a matter of body type. There’s a ton of clothes that I have wanted to wear but don’t personally flatter my body type. Now, I don’t not wear them because I’m not “comfortable” with my body. I just don’t want to wear super loose or baggy clothes because I want the best physical flattering of my figure.
Now, I have been made aware of these issues since finding videos on YouTube and hearing stories from friends that cover these TikTok trends. Why are we judging each other so passionately based off the most minute, ridiculous things? It’s absolutely unnecessary. Here I am in my unlabeled generational window seeing everyone fight over things that honestly shouldn’t cause so much backlash. What if we could take all that energy and put it towards something positive? Anyway, I’m not here to complain. I just find it interesting to be living outside the major drama that has been going on in the social media world of TikTok, as of late.
Then again, I have been taking a break from Instagram and Snapchat this week until finals are over. While I am allowing myself some social media streams like Pinterest and YouTube, just taking a break from checking Instagram and Snapchat has made me realize how much time I have in the day. If you’re up to try something like this, I highly recommend doing it. I seem to have a very low drama tolerance, so separating myself from certain social media apps have allowed me to live in a pleasanter state each day. But back onto the topic of the generational gap I live in…
I wish life were less problematic. There’s so many things I want to do and sometimes it seems like the future is so bleak.
Will I ever get to _______?
This seems to be a frequent question of mine lately. Of course there are always people who will encourage me and try to make me feel better when I ask this, but the feeling is very real at this point in my life. I’m finishing my junior year in college and have yet to participate in “normal” societal events. School has been my focus for the whole of my life, it feels, and sometimes I wonder if or when I’m ever going to do something else. Don’t get me wrong, I love learning and being in school. Honestly, I think I’ll cry when I’m officially done with school for good. But it feels weird when I step back and look at my life compared to the lives of my friends. Some of them are in relationships, working full time, getting married, and doing “adult” things. Me? I’m in school, trying to make more friends, have a part time job or two, and basically doing the exact opposite of the movies I grew up watching.
And the thing is, I like where I’m at in life. In fact, I know I have it really very easy compared to a lot of my friends. However, maybe I’m also very young at heart. I feel like I’m going to be a kid for a lot longer time than reality tells. To me, it just seems that my life before now has gone by so fast that I wonder if the rest of my life is going to feel the same. [Wow, being off social media has really cleared my thoughts.] I think I’ve been stuck in this fantasy land for a long time, so when my friends begin to achieve things in real life I feel like it’s happening too soon. That, it shouldn’t be happening for a long time. Like, why are you getting married? You’re only like five months or four days older than me. You’ve barely lived any of your life and you’re already hitching your wagon to someone else’s? You’re starting your career? What do you mean you have a real job and are moving somewhere else? You’re travelling more often? How do you have the time? It just doesn’t make sense to me.
I think I’m only now figuring out my real feelings about certain subjects. Like, in theory most things would be super cool to do. The hopeless romantic in me always wears rose-colored glasses when watching movies, hoping that’s what real life looks like. Yet, when the time comes for those things to happen, I run away like it’s the plague. “No, thank you! I’m less committed than I realized. Never mind.”
It’s a new day, though, with more opportunities to do things that I never would have expected to happen to me. For those of you stuck in this seemingly strange generational gap, I hope you can feel encouraged. Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise to be without a label. We are the unsung heroes of the generations. If you ever feel like you’re watching life go by without you, remember that social media is a portal into the virtual life. If people don’t seem to age, friendships don’t look different from five years ago, and you constantly feel like you aren’t doing or achieving enough in life, check how much time you spend on social media. Taking a break from it has made me realize how much I really want to be present in the now.
Don’t let life pass you by. Live in the now and make the life you’ve always wanted. And if you don’t know what it is you want, take the time and discover that life. You only have one life to live. Make it extraordinary, friends.
All my love,
JustACollegeStudent
