Why Being Anti-Mainstream Isn’t Really Unique (And How Gen-Z Messed It Up)

Hello, teenager with lots of thoughts here.

The last few days, I’ve been thinking long and hard about sociology and subculture dynamics, and how labels can affect one’s sense of self.

Kind of heavy for a teenager, I know, but as a Gen-Zer, labels are incredibly relevant.

HOW SUBCULTURES HAVE BECOME A CAPITALIST SCHEME

The bottom line is this:

Identity and subculture aren't just about how you dress anymore. Labels have erased the younger generation’s true sense of self. It’s never about being yourself—it’s about belonging.

Nowadays, you have to buy your identity—metaphorically, and literally. Whether it’s clothes, makeup, and CDs by certain bands, or your personality all together, either way:

You’re paying for something.

THE ANTI-MAINSTREAM TRAP

In the past 100 years, individualism has become more prominent than ever because civil rights have made alternative lifestyles more accessible.

This has not only encouraged self-actualization, but in some spaces, almost demands it.

The unfortunate thing is, society’s collective brain has been wired to think that individualism equates to the opposite of mainstream.

Anti-mainstream has become a subculture, therefore becoming a label. It is human nature to want a label or to be classified with a kind of person, so literally just being yourself is a lot less common than people think.

So people grab onto less accessible genres and subcultures like metal or goth or whatever fancies them.

Unfortunately, it gets to a point where the "unique" subculture becomes a stereotype and all of the alt people are actually the same in one way or another.

They're only thought of as special because they weren't what was first.

WHERE THE DIVIDE COMES IN

In some (or many, depending on your region) youth spaces, mainstream or “basic” can be associated with traditional or more conservative values.

This leads to a viewpoint that makes rejecting those kinds of people feel like “sticking it to the man.” I am speaking from firsthand experience as a high schooler. I have seen it online (Reddit, Instagram, Youtube, etc) and in public (stores, school, etc).

So those with more alternative styles of dress or taste, commonly, share liberal viewpoints.

Identity is often framed as a binary: mainstream or anti-mainstream, when really, many people exist between the two ends of the spectrum of identity. However, those who are a mix tend to be overlooked.

In case you were wondering, why do I say that it has specifically become an issue for Gen-Z?

You may be thinking, “but the basic to obscure pipeline happens for every generation.”

WHY IT'S AN ISSUE FOR US, SPECIFICALLY.

Gen-Z, undoubtedly, was born into an era where liberal viewpoints and certain civil rights have become more acceptable and, as stated earlier, more accessible.

Being liberal, of course, is not the issue here. The stereotype of being individualistic has.

THE NUANCE

Do not take this as saying that truly unique people do not exist though, we are all different deep down, but subcultures have created stereotypes that have taken away just truly being yourself.

It saddens me to see my peers being pressured into one mold. Of course, if something aesthetically appeals to you, that's okay too. As stated earlier, the issue isn't being liberal or how you dress.

It's how being yourself has just... been erased.