4 min read

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9 hours ago

Everyone knows that life is getting faster and faster, and trends are exactly the same. But it can’t be denied that they have become the center of social life by relying on powerful followings and subscriptions.

Trends control much of the discourse power and dominate mainstream concepts and ideas. On the other hand, they can be easily used to fit into a group.

For example:

Imagine you just made a new friend in a new environment. Because you don’t know each other well, it’s hard to find a suitable topic to start with. At that moment, the newest trend is often the safest answer.

Why? Because it carries low risk of failure and provides plenty of room for the conversation to continue. Even if you get stuck, social media is full of first-hand information that can support the topic.

So, are trends superficial? I don’t think so. Precisely because they look superficial, they often lead to the darker sides of society. And do I hate them? I can’t say I like them.

There are also people who prefer to step away from the mainstream. They don’t want to be the same as everyone else. Instead, they search for things they truly love.

These people are committed to protecting their own subculture. Compared with the promotional methods of mainstream culture, they tend to be more restrained.

This term describes when a stronger individual or cultural group adopts, usurps, exploits, plagiarizes, or copies elements from a weaker group — often without fully understanding them, and sometimes in ways that misinterpret, mock, discriminate, or disrespect.

When a niche culture suddenly becomes trendy, its rise is often too fast for people to truly understand it. As a result, there is a high chance of behaviors that go beyond the culture, or superficial actions that unintentionally offend those within the community.

With the development of the internet, two things have become clear: accelerated spread and the rise of echo chambers.

Because of this, social categories have become increasingly diverse. At the same time, high spreadability lowers the threshold of contact between groups.

Subcultural shops often exist to serve specific groups, providing refined experiences that meet targeted needs — while removing elements designed only to attract the masses.

What’s more, by combining with online platforms, they can attract people who share the same interests both offline and online.

Here’s my impression of people in subcultures:

They don’t follow mainstream trends.

They have their own opinions.

They show strong loyalty to what they like.

They don’t want their hobbies to become too popular.

Subculture always gives me a sense of mystery. On the surface it looks different and interesting, even making people feel a kind of longing.

Maybe it’s because not following others creates a stronger sense of independence and autonomy. Still, it doesn’t always appear approachable — “affinity” isn’t the first impression.

Psychological ownership refers to the personal feelings of belonging, possession, and identification toward something — treating it as part of oneself. In other words, it is like personal property or inviolable privacy.

This explains why people often want to enjoy what they love without too much exposure. It forms a strange mindset: on one hand, you want others to know how great it is; on the other hand, when it becomes popular, you don’t like it anymore.

“The more you’re told not to do something, the more you want to do it.” This is how I would summarize this theory.

It suggests that when personal freedom is restricted or influenced, a resistance mechanism is triggered. It’s not difficult to set off, and in fact it is very common — repeatedly used in many social contexts.

For example:

In a group activity, everyone decides to order black tea. Normally, you would enjoy it, but since too many people chose it, you suddenly lose interest, and the usual enjoyment is gone.

When parents tell you that you must study, you don’t feel like listening. But when no one forces you, you may actually start studying on your own.

The same applies to how trends affect individuals. To me, this is one of the key reasons why niche groups form.

To me, there is no absolute superiority or inferiority between mainstream culture and subculture. They simply reflect the different choices people face — between group belonging and individual independence.

The answer is not about choosing one side, but about finding a balance between them.

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