The human drive to follow fads and fashion

HostWe have all been there where we look at a photo of ourselves from just a few years ago and start to cringe. Maybe it was a neon shell suit, those tiny sunglasses, or some strange way of talking that felt so right at the time. Now, looking back, we just wonder what we were thinking. It's funny how fast our taste changes when everyone else’s does, too. Why do we feel this huge push to jump on every new trend that comes along?

GuestIt mostly comes down to a very old fear of being left behind. If we think back to a time when being part of a group was the only way to stay alive, it starts to make sense. In those days, if the rest of your group decided to move to a new spot or hunt a certain way, you went with them. If you didn't, you were on your own, and being on your own meant you probably wouldn't last long. Our brains still have that old way of thinking. When we see a crowd moving in one direction, whether it's a new type of coffee or a specific style of hat, our gut tells us that we need to move with them to stay safe. Even if the stakes are much lower now, that inner alarm is still very loud.

HostBut surely a pair of baggy jeans isn't a matter of life or death. It feels a bit silly to compare a fashion choice to surviving in the wild. I mean, is it really that deep in our heads?

GuestIt feels silly because we're not thinking about it, but the brain treats social mistakes as a real threat. There have been tests where people were left out of a simple game, and the parts of their brain that lit up were the same ones that fire when you stub your toe or burn your hand. So, when you see a trend starting and you don't join in, you might start to feel a tiny bit of that social sting. You feel like you're on the outside looking in. For many of us, following the fad is just a quick way to turn off that alarm bell. It's not always about liking the new thing; it's about not wanting to feel that pain of being the odd one out.

HostSo we're just avoiding the sting. But that would mean we don't actually like the things we buy. I find that hard to believe. I really did think those huge sneakers looked good for a month or two.

GuestWell, we actually trick ourselves into liking things. The more we see something, the more we start to find it pleasing. It's a simple trick of the mind. If you see a weird new shoe once, you might think it looks ugly. But if you see it ten times on people you think are cool, your brain starts to shift. It begins to see that shoe as a sign of being part of the pack. Slowly, you stop seeing the shoe for what it's and start seeing what it means. We think we're making a choice based on what looks good, but we're often just bowing to the pressure of what's around us without even knowing it.

HostI don't know if I buy that we're all just following each other like that. Some people go out of their way to look different. They hate trends. If we're all wired to fit in, where do those people come from?

GuestThat's the funny part. Even the people who try to look different are usually just trying to fit into a smaller, more specific group. If you dress in a way that goes against the main trend, you're usually sending a sign to another group of outsiders that you belong with them. It's still about finding a pack. You're just picking a smaller pack that prides itself on not being like the big one. Even being different has its own set of rules and its own trends. If you look at a group of people who claim to hate fashion, they often end up looking quite a bit like each other. They have their own uniform, even if they call it something else.

HostOkay, that makes sense. But what about how fast things move now? It feels like fads used to last for years, and now they last for maybe a week because of the internet. Why is the cycle spinning so much faster?

GuestThat's because the secret code gets found out too quickly now. Trends work as a sort of sign. If I wear this specific brand, it shows I'm in the know. It shows I have the time or the taste to find this thing. But with the internet, that code gets cracked in a day. As soon as a trend goes wide and everyone can do it, the people at the front of the pack lose their edge. They need to find a new code to show they're still ahead. So they drop the old thing and find something new. This forces everyone else to scramble to catch up, which makes the whole cycle spin faster and faster. A fad dies the moment it becomes too easy to join. If anyone can do it, it no longer works as a way to show you're special or part of a certain group. It's like a club that's only fun until there's no line at the door. Once everyone is inside, the people who started the party go look for a new basement to hang out in.

HostIt sounds like a lot of work to keep up with. I mean, we're constantly checking what's in and what's out just to feel okay. Is there any way to just stop playing the game?

GuestNot really, because it's not just about clothes. It's about how we talk, what we eat, and even the ideas we think are important. These fads are just part of how we keep our groups together. The trick is to realize that the sting of not fitting in isn't actually going to hurt you. You can choose which packs you want to join and which trends are worth your energy. But as long as we live with other people, we'll be looking at what they're doing to figure out what we should be doing. The biggest fear for most of us isn't even dancing badly, it's the thought of being the only one still doing the old dance when the song has already changed.

HostThe neon shell suit doesn't feel quite so bad if I know my brain was just trying to make sure I didn't end up alone.