Every week, there’s a new update in the trend world, and in order to be considered “cool,” you have to follow the agenda. Not only is it exhausting to keep up with, but it’s almost always mindless and nonsensical.

From little ugly dolls to one-size-only clothing brands, it seems like people will buy anything as long as it’s blowing up on the internet. If you look around, you’ll see the majority of people wearing Birkenstocks, Lululemon, and carrying Stanley water bottles that leak everywhere. There’s nothing wrong with genuinely enjoying that style, but 90% of people only wear and own those things just to blend in.

So many people get bullied for their individuality and differences. And 99% of the time, that person will eventually give in and become another clone. The pressure to be like everyone else can absolutely crush a person’s creativity.

Trends push people to conform to ideas that often don’t even make sense. They discourage independent thought and innovation. Most people jump on the bandwagon without understanding or even caring about what they’re following.

You can even see this happening with bands and artists. Of course, it’s normal for an artist to evolve their sound over time, but sometimes you see someone devoted to a genre suddenly switch just to chase money. They lose their passion for the art and turn to popular music trends for fame and fortune.

Some trends even push people to do dangerous things. They get brainwashed and blindly participate just to be part of the moment. It’s like all self-respect goes out the window for a chance to fit in. People have ended up in the hospital—or worse—all because of the pressure to follow the crowd.

Following trends is a one-way ticket to losing your uniqueness and character. If you just take a step back from the trend-driven mindset, you might be able to see clearly—and find your true self, not the version society wants you to be.