Who among you is truly unique online? High schoolers everywhere wake up each morning to a world defined by what they see online. According to Pew Research Center, 97% of these teens claim to use the internet daily. Although the web seems to have redeeming qualities–long-distance connection, inspiration or even community building–its tireless badgering of students often changes the fundamental makeup of who they are, decimating their individuality.

One in four teens report deciding not to post something on social media as it may not represent how they want to be seen or embarrass them, according to Pew Research Center. These fall victim to becoming a large part of the audience of social media users who become captivated by the daily whirlwind of new trends. Unfortunately, following these may lead to an individual losing sight of what makes them special.

Among the biggest causes of losing individualism is comparison. According to the American Psychology Association, teens spend about 4.8 hours a day on social media. Their pages are flooded with hundreds of influencers campaigning for their own trend, product or personal brand. The viewing of this content can remove any sense of individuality as it teaches young adults that the only way to achieve likes or virality is through conformity.

“If I do compare, it’s normally to people with really ideal lives, who are famous and have a lot of money to make those lives happen and be, like, super unrealistic,” Allie Barbieri (’26) said.

Although many people become viral due to their unique perspective or lifestyle, once these people amass thousands to hundreds of thousands of followers, they themselves become a trend. By sharing their lifestyles, viewpoints and personalities to the social media community, these influencers–despite their uniqueness–contribute to the overall loss of individualism worldwide.

So what can be done to keep you, you? The common phrase–comparison is the thief of joy–is a successful tactic, yet appears much easier than in reality. When social media users find themselves comparing and doubting their self-worth during seemingly endless scrolling, it is crucial to remember that the way people present themselves is often wholly unrealistic. Social media pages may look incredibly idealistic, but it is only a snippet of a person’s life–the very best moments. Additionally, there is no possible way that an individual can be the same as their favorite influencer, and that is a good–no–great thing. Every single person is different, a human being with different DNA, a reflection of all who came before them and all who will follow. Accepting this and looking towards not what can be changed but how to accept being oneself is one of the greatest challenges in life–but so worth it. Just be you because that is enough.

The belief in one’s self-worth can be fostered through various avenues. Tape a picture of younger you on the mirror–if you wouldn’t criticize them, don’t do it now. Find positive mantras that empower you to look upon your inner value, rather than what’s on the outside. Remember to do activities that are fun and ones you are good at, as you have your own gifts that are meant to be shared. Always be kind to yourself, as you are just one human out of 8.025 billion; you are allowed to make mistakes. You will be ok.