Labels are something that has changed our opinions of people since early times. Back in the old days they were more extreme, but all in all the same idea as today. But were they as influential to the people being accused?

There have always been the same cliques; now they’ve just evolved to have new names and new leaders. Stereotypes are something that every person seeks subconsciously. Whether it’s the popular kids, the scene kids, or maybe even the geeks, everyone wants to fit in with someone. Why is it now that fitting in with someone is a bad thing? A lot of kids these days will claim that they don’t fit in with anyone; that they’re ‘not like everyone else’. I was scanning the Internet the other day and found about fifteen teenagers who claimed to be this without even really looking. The thing is, they all looked alike and had the same bio saying the same type of things. I found it interesting that they were so desperate to avoid being stereotyped that they were becoming one themselves. Why is it that kids are desperate to avoid being stereotyped as certain cliques today?

Image received from http://photobucket.com/

I decided to test a theory of why this was. I dressed up as your typical “scene” girl. I styled my hair with my bangs over one eye and wore heavy make up. I purchased a few fake piercings and dressed in skinny jeans and a band shirt. I went into the mall dressed like this, and didn’t attract any attention. Obviously this was not an abnormal style, so why was the label avoided like a curse? The place I was headed  was what you would call a typical “preppy” store. I had seen their help wanted sign a few days ago, and decided to use it as my experiment base. I walked in and walked towards the register, intent on asking for an application. I could tell right away that everyone in the store had the same basic look about them, tweaked in certain ways to try and make it seem slightly original. These people were at home with their group look, you could even say they thrived on it. It’s basic instinct to want to be with other things that look or act like you, due to the fact that it resembles a pack. The girl at the register was short and blond, with a name tag that said Mary. She was pretty but not over the tip, and she was sporting shorts and a shirt that were hanging on the wall just behind her. There was literally nothing about her that seemed different or extreme, as sometimes scene kids are classified. She smiled at me and asked if I needed help finding anything. I smiled back and told her I had seen the help wanted sign, and was interested in working here. As I asked I could see her eyes flicker over my appearance, taking in the piercings and clothing style. She offered up one more smile, this time sympathetic. She then proceeded to tell me that the position had been filled and they weren’t accepting applications at this time, and how she was very sorry. I smiled and thanked her, then walked out the door. Two weeks later the help wanted sign was still hanging in their window.

This was something that had happened in a few times. Each time the girl or boy working would smile sympathetically and offer an apology; each time the help wanted sign stayed displayed. Is it possible that even things such as work are discriminated by appearance? In some ways it’s understandable. Work places might want someone who represents the product they’re trying to sell, which in this case tan skin and a good figure would make you feel as though wearing the store’s clothes made you look like that. But why is it that someone perfectly capable of the job is denied due to their appearance? It’s not just with teenagers that this is happening. Many companies won’t hire people who don’t put off an air that they approve of, or don’t look a certain way. 

It’s said that these kinds of things are being avoided now, that a job isn’t allowed to deny someone a job due to appearance, race, religion, age, or any other type of life choices. But people are being denied jobs every day due to these things, with a cover up of a simple, “Sorry, we’re not hiring at this time.”

How far will we go to keep things familiar?