I had the spookiest feeling at Urban Outfitters the other day when I saw something that was "sooo me" and realized that identity is partially something that was sold to me via algorithms in order to sell me the accessories to go with that identity

We live in an era where personal style is increasingly indistinguishable from brand strategy. The aesthetic codes that once belonged to subcultures, regions, or craftspeople have been flattened into algorithms—optimized for compatibility, trend velocity, and frictionless aspiration. When everything looks good, originality becomes the only risk... See more

De repente, sua personalidade se torna... bem, produtos. E é genial, honestamente. Dá uma sensação de liberdade, como se você pensasse "é isso que eu sou e é isso que eu gosto". Mas, na verdade, são as marcas nos dizendo quem devemos ser, e nós concordamos sem pensar.