Posted in Essay — 08 Feb 2021

Classifying Yourself

Kaitlyn Tiffany on <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2021/02/aesthetics-wiki-cottagecore-tumblr-tiktok/617923/">Cottagecore</a>:
<blockquote>
The impulse for classification is a staple of internet life—tag yourself; add your interests; pick your favourite croissant, and we’ll tell you the Taylor Swift song that sums up your life.
</blockquote>
I had no idea what on earth cottage core was when I clicked on this. Turns out it’s yet another way for people to get attention online.
But this statement really stuck out to me. Classifying yourself as something seems to be so important to people, and even fleeting trends on social media seem to need a name.
This label thing seems to be huge in tech. “I’m and Apple guy”. “I’m a manga nerd”. “You’re an Android user”. The need to exist in a group runs deep into our core (see what I did there) and we cling to labels in almost everything we do.
When thinking about who you are, it’s important to know these things and recognise their importance in your life — but don’t make labels important to your existence.