#WhatAmI?
[OPENING HOOK]
A: Picture this, you’re in bed after a long, jarring
day—perhaps you’ve spent most of your time outside,
catching up with friends, going through some of your
errands, attending university—and all you need to die
down from your exhaustion is a little bit of mindless
scrolling on your favorite app, Tiktok. And as you’re
doomscrolling through your for you page (FYP), liking
every post, laughing—even sending some questionable
videos to your friends, you find out that you’re a
“cottagecore girly”, “anxiety-personified”, and a “manic
lana del rey girl with chaotic tendencies”—seems
ridiculous, right? All of which was presumed, or rather,
assigned to you in just under an hour.
A: But here’s the catch; it is not only you that has seen
these videos. In fact, there are multiple other
individuals—humans of which have liked those videos and
silently thought to themselves, “finally.. I found a label that
finally fits me.”
[SITUATION]
M: The fast progression of Social Media has introduced us
to a new generation of language with outdated slangs
being rebranded into something less comprehensible that
it is with no shock that our social culture is constantly
evolving—with that, comes the new age of digital media.
For the rest of us, discovering a label helps bring us a
sense of solace—a subtle breath of resolution after years
of doubt.
It is the simple act of understanding, and the knowledge
of being seen that validates our very existence. Words
matter—they recognize our presence. However,
somewhere along the road, this tool that is predominantly
used to define oneself—has grown into one of obsession
and defiance to one’s autonomy.
Instead of asking, “Who am I?” people nowadays tend to
ask, “What kind of microlabel am I?”
[COMPLICATION]
M: While pining for multiple labels isn’t necessarily a bad
thing; the mindset of seeing labels as a collectible item is
what risks us into losing fragments of our autonomy.
Rather than living our life with authenticity, we instead
choose to repackage ourselves into the clauses with
trendy names and fabricated lies that Tiktok has created
for us. Suddenly, the simplicity of being human is no
longer enough—the demand to become something more
(in this case, marketable and hyper-specific) has gone
increasingly high.
A: And worse? We’ve given people with ring lights &
trendy sounds the liberty to define us as individuals.
[STORY]
M: Say, your friend has a crush, and they go up to you
telling about them, gushing over what they like. They
describe what should be goddess Aphrodite, demigod
Hercules. But all you can really see is a stickman with
nothing significant. For sure, you’d like to find how to spell
out what that means about you? Finding the right labels
when everyone else found their own, like gay, queer,
straight, lesbian, trans, and bi. Certainly, you’d want to find
what umbrella you fit under, because you find you’re
unable to feel attracted toward others, so, not with those
open to being ‘romantic’. Along with that, you don’t see the
big thing about sex, so can’t have that either.
M: Actually, this is exactly what someone across the ocean
felt. He didn’t exactly know the label of being ‘aroace’ or
‘aromantic and asexual’, but he knew exactly what it
meant since, of course, it’s what he felt about himself, he
just didn’t know how to name it. He did feel that he was
probably bisexual prior to finding out, but, again, there’s
the commitment to a partner. So, he’s practically always
been aroace and nothing else. Every other person is just a
person, as he so put it.
A: But that’s really only one story within many
communities, since of course, people have varied
mindsets and attitudes. He was only concerned with
looking for a label for his orientation. Let’s go back to our
personalities. We look for a good way to communicate us,
to other people on the internet with microlabels. But with
them, we also have to keep in mind there’s the danger of
generalizing things that should be taken more seriously,
such as mental conditions, with stuff like
“anxiety-personified”, “anxietycore”, and the self-labels of
“autistic” at the smallest traits.
Yes, there’s the solidarity and positivity and the lack of the
stigma surrounding them, but, we have to remember some
people struggle and need help when living with them.
It’s not exactly something everyone can just embrace just
because, and they shouldn’t exactly count as a valid
alternative to a verified diagnosis.
[RESOLUTION]
M: But let’s slow down here; just because something’s
trending or gone viral doesn’t mean you have to hop on
the bandwagon straight away, because honestly, you’ll
never know where it takes you, and whether you’d be
happy with the resulting product.
Most users engaging with this content are definitely still
developing their sense of self. And most often, they’ll fail
to stop and think. And this is vital.
First, internalize; “what makes me, me?”
A: Sit and reflect; “does this label really authenticate me
as me?” Microlabels aren’t supposed to dictate who you
are as a person in your interests, traits, personality,
orientation, and preferences.
[CLOSING]
M: Besides, if you’re looking for labels already, you’ve
probably found a good chunk of yourself. What you’re
lingering on is “how can I communicate myself to others?”
But, it’s not exactly all bad if you’re looking for trends to
see what else you’re interested in or happen to fit under.
But!
it’s a fine line trying to pick out what really embodies your
character, and what’s simply something you’re unable to fit
under and probably thrust upon you by your own
emotions.
A: Take your time, find yourself. Once you do, finding
those special labels will come naturally. And you’ll be
confident enough to show and tell what really makes you,
you.
