Yesterday while we waited to rush, the ubiquitous question, "have a facebook account?" emerged, to which I gave my usual reply, which includes a short sentence on regarding my reservations to the website and the way its majority users shape my perceptions of it.

My friend ( A fellow MJCian whom I've never seen through my 2 years there, despite him being in the class right next door) then paused for a while, and then asked, "So then, I take it you also don't like anything Apple?"

I was pretty surprised, and of course I said yes.

"Ah... a non-conformist of society?"

I don't like that label, and I don't think that label now makes sense in today's society, where even non-conformists inevitably conform to some lifestyle and habits. That's not to say, though, that I gave a 'no' to the follow-up question.

I don't like the label 'non-conformist' precisely because, over time, that label has also become as popularly thrown around as a trend in itself. After all, those who emulate the nerdy-but-cool fashion trend were aiming for the very same strata. But don't get me wrong, this isn't a tirade on current trends and fads. I'm not about to lambast the tastes and preferences of my peers, nor am I lamenting that I can't keep up with them. When posed the question, I was simply wondering to myself why I feel this way. Not contented with a possible conclusion that I was simply ignoring these trends because I desired the possibly childish mindset of just wanting to be different, I thought there might be more to it.

I don't take a liking to facebook. I am prejudicial against Apple products. I dislike those compact bags often accompanied by a simple 'polka-dot against a black background' design, along with the thick white/black spectacles, both of which used to be all the rage some time ago. But then, you probably already know that.

I think it's because the trends tend to evoke a perceived notion of mindless herded following. I know this is loaded, and I myself do follow with some trends, so I hope it doesn't come across as offensive. The thing is, facebook has always seemed to present so many flaws in the way its users interact with others on it. From the irony of sitting in front of the screen so often to do something meant to be the least bit more intimate, to the everlasting presentation of only a person's desired personality, I've never really accepted that it is an improvement the way one manages his or her friends network. With Apple, the absurdly high prices for mediocre (or sub-par, with the way it's systems are irritatingly made "Apple Only") software and hardware and the fact that this is ignored or side-stepped by many in the name of fashion and design is disconcerting. Lastly, with regards to said 'nerd=cool' fad, I think maybe I just identify myself (despite my own reservations) more as a nerd, and find the half-hearted encroachment in the name of fashion blasphemous. (I meant that in jest, of course)

That being said, there's still a big chance I am childishly wanting to simply differentiate myself from the majority, and my explanations are excuses for that. According to Blink, I'll probably never know. Was worth my two cents to think about it, anyway.

7 comments