The fashion industry continues to alter the psychological mindset of modern society, specifically teenagers. With the rise in fashion trends rapidly arising at any moment, teens feel pressured to adhere to certain fashion trends and to conform to society. Teenagers view society differently due to the pressure to comply with social standards. By adhering to fashion trends, adolescents’ sense of belonging and identity is greatly altered; they may behave differently or change their identity just to fit in with a group of people. Their confidence is impacted detrimentally as their self-expression is not able to be shown to society. With the rise of social media, teenagers are exposed to a large influx of influencers upholding the latest fashion trends, and they feel obliged to conform to these trends in order to feel like they belong.
The fashion industry exposes teenagers to numerous trends that increase the desire for social validation. Teenagers feel like, in order to fit in, they must abide by the trends set by society. Since influencers act as trendsetters, more and more people comply with norms set by their favorite social media influencers to connect with them on a social level. As teenagers are one of the most active age groups in social media, they are exposed to the latest trends set by influencers, and their desire to connect with others is greatly established. Exposure to certain social media trends greatly impacts how an adolescent behaves according to societal norms. An adolescent may change their whole fashion sense just to connect with the laws set by society. Fashion is one of the main forms of expression and an art that helps individuals stand out from the crowd. Fashion gives people confidence and helps people understand who they truly are.
However, through the added factor of social media, teenagers’ ability to express themselves to society is greatly hindered as they feel pressured to conceal their true identity. Each piece of clothing represents a unique quality of a person, and by following the common crowd, people are not able to stand out from the rest. An adolescent’s true identity is obscured from society, leading to a great decline in self-expression as well as individuality.
