If you spend any amount of time on the internet in general and Instagram in particular, you’ve probably noticed that there is a certain “look” to content creators. By itself it might not stand out, but put a handful of influencers together and it will look like they are all each other’s stunt doubles.
An influencer video where all the women present dressed nearly identically spawned an online debate about how individuality has started to disappear. We got in touch with Sue-Ann Jarrett who commented on the viral video and she was kind enough to share some more thoughts with us.
Internet content creation culture has produced its own “look”
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So some netizens thought that this attack on individuality was too much
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You can watch the full video here
@martinifeeny Im SOOO bored by all these influencers lol #nycinfluencers #imo #nyc #tiktokgirls #bored
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But she wasn’t the only one who thought this was getting out of hand
Image credits: Artem Podrez/Pexels (not the actual photo)
@benthemeyliem at least we all look cute
Image credits: Cameron Casey/Pexels (not the actual photo)
You can watch the full video here
@economyvodka The comments under that video did give me hope I can’t lie to you. I think a lot of us are tired of this constant Deja vu our society has forced upon us, which is even more tragic in relation to style. Why are people DRESSING the same? Out of all the options in this day and age especially? We have never had such a variation in clothing yet everyone ends up in the same beige ensemble? This can’t be real life. #style #fashion #influencers #styletok #foryou #fyp #europe #usa #culture
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Influencer culture has shifted how many people approach trends and fashion
Image credits: Ivan Samkov/Pexels (not the actual photo)
Bored Panda got in touch with Sue-Ann Jarrett who made the video posted above and she was kind enough to share some more about herself and about individuality. We were curious to learn more about how she started making content on TikTok. “I started my TikTok account during the Spring of 2021 while I was teaching abroad in Nablus. A friend suggested I make an account and post videos of my hair to amass a following so I thoughtlessly did it and posted two lazy videos that my middle school students ended up finding to my horror. I was mortified at the insularity of the app after this and largely abandoned it for 2 years until I started making videos talking about my experience living in Palestine. Prior to this I was becoming very disillusioned with social media but once I started posting on TikTok people’s requests on topics for me to cover kept me pretty active on the app.”
Since then she’s accumulated thousands of followers, so we wanted to know what she thought was the main draw of her account. “I tend to share my perspective on topics that are somewhat controversial and polarizing so people usually have very strong opinions about the things I have to say. Even when I try to take a somewhat neutral and passive stance on certain topics that I personally do not find insulting, people end up feeling slighted anyway. I received my bachelors degree in Sociology and completed one year of my MSc in Anthropology and so I tend to focus on people and culture as that is what I feel the most secure speaking about. These two subjects are people-centered and everyone always has an opinion on them, so my comment sections are almost always very active,” she shared.
Moving on to the topic of trends, we wanted to hear more of her thoughts on what actually shifts what people think looks good. “It’s always important when consuming influencer content to realize that they are trying to sell you something and it doesn’t even have to actually be something tactile. A lot of them sell hopes, dreams, lies, etc. and depending on what they are selling, their style and appearance will typically align with that. I’m 30 years old so I grew up in a time largely void of social media influencing and the effect I see it having on our society, especially on young women, is actually quite bleak. People are becoming clones of one another as it relates, not only to style but their hobbies, opinions, and values. It’s almost as if people aren’t comfortable and secure being themselves, (if they know who that is in the first place) so they have to look to others for guidance. I grew up in NYC but have lived in Europe for the better part of the last 7 years. It was while living in Brussels and travelling throughout Scandinavia, various cities in The Netherlands, and Paris that this lack of individuality was largely apparent when observing the style choices of the inhabitants of each country. I was constantly having deja vu, everyone generally wore very similar things, whereas growing up in NYC I experienced such a whimsical variety in people’s style choices, which was integral to my own style development.”
“Because the clothing that you wear is usually an outward expression of self (some people don’t care too much and that’s fine too) I think it points to a general breakdown in individuality and self-actualization when people would rather blend in and wear things because it’s trending and a they saw a conventionally attractive woman who was paid a hefty sum wearing it in a video. And yes, it’s nothing new (I would argue it hasn’t ever been THIS commonplace though cross culturally), but we are now in 2025. We have never had more choices and options than we do now in relation to everything. Why are we choosing to conform in cities and societies that don’t actually require it; where we can wear anything. The video of the influencers all in the same room wearing the same outfit basically put it all in perspective. These women were all given choice for things to purchase and wear and they all ended up choosing the same thing to wear to an event. The interesting thing too is that the influencer who posted it thought it was funny, while the comments found it deeply concerning (which gave me some semblance of hope).”
“I could just be in my own bubble here but I think there’s a bit of a shift now. People are getting tired of it, and I think it’s largely due to this fatigue of just seeing everyone look the same all the time, if not online, then it’s offline for so many of us now. Influencer culture removes the blemishes of life and the lived experience—replacing it with this cold and unnatural way of being where everything is ✨aesthetic and retouched. But for many of us, the cost of going along with this facade is too high! There is something within us that naturally rejects it after a while and I hope that we will collectively start walking towards the light.” You can find more of her work on Instagram and TikTok.
People will buy what they think is cool to own
Image credits: Leticia Ribeiro/Pexels (not the actual photo)
Influencer culture often destroys individuality by promoting a narrow, curated version of life that encourages people to conform rather than express themselves authentically. Social media influencers build their platforms by showcasing an idealized lifestyle, from fashion and beauty to travel and personal success, designed to attract followers and brand deals. To be clear, it’s not even close to the worst things influencers have done, but the long-term implications aren’t great.
Over time, this creates a feedback loop where the most popular trends, aesthetics, and behaviors are endlessly copied, leaving little room for uniqueness. As more people try to fit into this mold for likes and validation, individuality takes a back seat to the pursuit of social approval. As one netizen stated in the videos above, it’s “all a performance.”
Now, using style as a status symbol is a tale as old as time, but traditionally, one would still add some personality to it. However, as the influencer trip video shows, some of these women look indistinguishable from each other. One of the biggest problems is the pressure to appear “perfect” at all times. Influencers often present carefully edited images where every detail is curated to look effortless, yet flawless. This is often comically or tragically not mirrored in their behavior.
This leads to followers imitating those same looks, habits, and even personality traits in the hope of achieving similar popularity. When millions of people are chasing the same aesthetic, wearing the same clothes, using the same filters, and decorating their homes in the same style, personal identity becomes secondary to fitting in. What was once a platform for creativity and self expression increasingly feels like a competition to replicate what’s trending.
Consumerism also plays a role. Influencer culture thrives on selling products, whether it’s skincare, clothing, or lifestyle gadgets. Views alone tend to not cut it anymore. The constant push to buy the “next big thing” makes individuality feel out of reach because people are told that their worth is tied to owning the right brands or following the latest trends. Instead of valuing originality, the focus shifts to having what everyone else has, or risk feeling left behind. This is “assisted” by fast fashion and online shopping, where consumers can “chaise” a new trend as quickly as it emerges.
The need for online validation makes it even harder to break free. Likes, comments, and followers create a reward system that encourages conformity. People are less likely to share their true selves if they fear it won’t be well received. As a result, social media often becomes a highlight reel of what people think others want to see, not who they truly are. There is often a degree of whiplash when contrasting a person’s curated online image with reality.
Ironically, the more people try to stand out by copying what’s popular, the more everything starts to look the same. True individuality requires embracing differences, imperfections, and personal preferences without worrying about whether it fits the current trend. As long as influencer culture prioritizes uniformity over authenticity, it will continue to erode the very uniqueness that makes people interesting in the first place.
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