Ava Ritter

   In a modern world that demands group alignment, the most dangerous person is one who chooses individualism, rather than the safety of the crowd. There’s been a rise in individualistic mindsets as Gen Z grows into adulthood. This is likely attributed to lost trust in past systems that were once promised to foster them into society, and the abundance of information being thrown at a person at once.

   At its simplest, individualism is the ability to recognize that your life does not have to be dictated by the overbearing expectations of those around you.

   From childhood, we are taught the importance of fitting in. We are told to behave a certain way, achieve to a certain standard, pursue a certain career, and eventually build a life resembling those who came before us. Like there is a blueprint for what a successful person looks like. Deviating from that made up blueprint can feel less like making an independent decision, and more like failing an unspoken test you never knew you were enrolled in. But when did society decide there was only one way to succeed?

   Gen Z has grown up surrounded by more information and perspectives than any generation ever. We can see people living across the world, pursuing careers that didn’t exist until a decade ago, rejecting arbitrary standards, and creating lives that look nothing like the ones we are told to have. Naturally, this has made many question the idea that there is only one correct way to live. Yet, questioning the norm can come with consequences. The person who refuses to follow the crowd is often labelled difficult, rebellious, selfish, or simply different. We praise individuality in theory, but often only when that individuality remains comfortable. We tell people to be themselves, then quietly punish them when the person they choose to be doesn’t fit into expectations. There is a difference between being part of a community and surrendering your identity to it. Individualism isn’t a refusal to care for others, but rather an understanding that belonging should not require the destruction of identity. The truly damaging aspect is not the person who thinks differently, but the society that makes them afraid to do so. If everyone accepts the same ideas over and over just because they are familiar, nothing will ever change; the uncomfortable questions never get asked, the outdated expectations never get challenged, and the people who do not fit exactly to the mold are left believing that the problem is themselves, rather than a system that has failed them. Maybe Gen Z’s growing individualism isn’t a rejection of society, but a rejection of the idea that there is only one acceptable way to exist within it.