Whether it is likable or not, stereotypes are everywhere in today’s world. There are stereotypes that can be considered “nice”, or there could be stereotypes that are harmful to others. They could be about different ethnicities, genders, political stances and more. Regardless, the people labeled with these stereotypes mostly don’t like being associated with them.

However, where do most of these stereotypes come from? There’s not really an affirmative answer in regard to all stereotypes. However, we do know where some of these came from, especially ones that are more recent. For example, a current popular stereotype is being called a “VSCO girl”. This stereotype is “defined” as girls who enjoy scrunchies, metal hydroflasks or water bottles, shell necklaces and seem to have a very outgoing personality.

Why did this stereotype become so popular? Simply stated, the stereotype came from a trend. Mainly thanks to social media, these “types” of girls started finding an interest in these trends, like scrunchies to increase their taste in fashion, metal water bottles and straws to save the environment and more. Although no one knows when this turned into a stereotype, it could be because some people out there didn’t like the type of girls that got into these trends, and so the so-called “haters” started labeling the girls with the stereotypical personality that they think the girls have.

If you were to look back into the past a few years ago, people during those times would have no idea what a “VSCO girl” is. It’s simply because stereotypes evolve almost all the time, just like trends do. Every now and then, a certain group of people with similar traits and desires are targeted and made fun of due to the stereotypes that are created about them, and most of them come from the trends that they follow. This is not okay.

Regardless of whether or not a stereotype comes from a trend or not, they are still very harmful and really bring a person down. Social media has a huge impact on this. Apps like Instagram, Twitter and Facebook all have its users either starting trends, spreading stereotypes about trends or spreading stereotypes towards many users. They could be very serious, or they could joke about it so they can add to their sense of humor. Even so, this can leave a very negative impact on the people labeled with these stereotypes. People who follow trends are always labeled with the stereotype that comes with it. This could prevent someone from getting involved in that trend in the future and it could bring them down emotionally.

As trends become more and more popular, the stereotypes grow stronger as well. Every now and then, these stereotypes evolve, and some made in the past may even be resurrected. There will always be a new trend in the future that a lot of people will follow. If we want to be able to have the ability to express ourselves differently, there shouldn’t be any stereotypes made on these trends that people like. Everyone needs to respect other people’s opinions, not belittle them. Once we learn that, maybe there will be a trend in the future that won’t have a stereotype, and people can feel more secure about themselves more and more every day.