As high schoolers, we all know the feeling of being so into something–whether that be a sport, a genre of music, a franchise, etc.–that it completely defines you. You go around wearing merch, you post about it constantly online, and you talk about it to all your friends…only for you to get brutally made fun of by the people around you.

     What the heck is that about?

     It’s not much of a surprise, to say the least–I’d guess that all of us have made fun of something another person likes at least once; we were all middle schoolers once, after all. However, now we’re in high school; it’s time to start being mature, act our ages, and stop criticizing the things that make people happy. 

    This most likely comes from a lack of understanding. How can someone enjoy something as childish as Netflix cartoons such as She-Ra? How can someone listen to metalcore music if all it is is screaming and lyrics about depression?  Concepts that are different to us are easy to ridicule since it’s pretty much our first reaction to everything before we stop to consider why people may like it so much.

     Some people may find comfort in the characters of the shows they watch. People connect to music for many reasons, such as religion, nostalgia, or just because they like the way it sounds. It’s not your place to judge these people for enjoying the things they like just because you may not like it.

     I’m not going to lie; I am very guilty of being a judgemental person. For example, my mother is one of those infamous Christmas fanatics. She plays the Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack on loop, brings decorations out right after Thanksgiving, and gives me daily reminders of how close we are to Christmas. Usually, I’d just scoff at her and walk away, but then I took into consideration why I shouldn’t do that: my mom loves the holiday season because she loves being with her family. She loves the vibes, watching the movies from when she was a kid, and watching the snow fall on the ground. Who am I to judge that? It makes her happy, so it wouldn’t kill me to just let her enjoy the season while it lasts.

     I also have a friend that is super into K-Pop. She loves groups like Stray Kids, Twice, and Aespa. All she does is listen to and appreciate music, but she gets dunked on all the time for it. She gets bombarded with questions like, “Why do you listen to it if you can’t speak Korean?” or “Why do you like those guys, anyway? They look like girls.”

     First of all, it’s perfectly fine to enjoy something in a language you can’t understand. The fact that we can find solace in things that are foreign to us is truly something that we need to appreciate more. Plus, I didn’t see anyone worrying about that back in 2017 when literally everyone was dancing to Despacito. It makes you guys look like hypocrites, if you couldn’t tell.

     Second, why do you care if male K-Pop idols supposedly look like girls? I think you’re just insecure that they have healthier-looking skin than you do. It’s all in the skincare, y’all.

     Now, I’m not trying to say that people with certain interests are superior to those with others; we all have things that we love and find happiness in. Some people love football, some people like anime, some people like country music, and some people love Timothée Chalamet. We’re all different people with different interests. We all want to be happy and enjoy our lives while we can, so why do some people have to go and ruin it for others? As long as it doesn’t hurt anyone, it shouldn’t be a problem.

     It’s time to start worrying about your own problems, not the fact that someone likes something that you don’t vibe with.