Everyone has something they enjoy that they're either too afraid to share, like a guilty pleasure, or something they enjoy that they've already been judged for. It all usually starts in middle school, when pubescent kids decide to become overly opinionated and judgy because everyone is beginning to develop their own sense of self. This kind of judgment that we're all too familiar with has probably made us more shy and closed-off than ever with wanting to share what we love.

In middle school, I can't tell you how many times I heard "Ew, you like One Direction? That's so lame." I actually still hear that to this day. There was a little while when I would be ashamed of it and never mention it because nobody wants to be teased about anything. Of course, now, I have no problem blasting One Direction and showing off how I know all the words to every single song. I learned to take pride in that, and other people should too.

Many people enjoy pop culture but are always bashed for it. There's nothing wrong with liking someone that's new and popular because it's popular for a reason. When "Stranger Things" first ever came out, I used to complain about how overhyped it was and how annoying people were about it. I know now that I was doing the same thing people did to me: belittling people and things because of how popular it is. It's okay to be annoyed at something that everyone posts and talks about, but it's not okay to bash someone for liking said thing.

Most people suggest not caring what other people think, always saying, "It doesn't matter what that person said. You like what you like and that's it," and while that is true, you just can't help it sometimes. It's difficult for so many people to express themselves and be open about their favorite things in fear of being ridiculed. A lot of people prefer to avoid conflict, judgment, and difficulties, so what's another way to do this than by just not expressing anything at all?

I see this so much in our generation when friends are listening to music in a car. Someone gets passed the aux cord and are told they can play whatever they want. As the song of the choice is playing, the person goes, "This song isn't even that good, my bad," and proceeds to shrug it off. It's upsetting that someone fears judgment and ridicule enough to even lie and pretend they don't enjoy what they love. It's okay to like Starbucks. It's okay to binge watch Netflix. It's okay to prefer Marvel over DC. It's okay to like something that is overrated. That does not make you basic. Everyone is different but can still like the same things, so we all need to be more accepting of people liking whatever they like. We need to embrace the unity in media among the people in our society and our generation because without it, how can we ever get to be ourselves?