One of Generation Z’s worst ideas is obsessing about Taylor Swift’s political takes.
As the pop star continues to travel around the world on the Eras Tour, a trending X hashtag has indicated fans are calling for Swift to speak out about the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
But who actually cares about her opinion? Unfortunately, a lot of people do.
For “Swifties,” the fan base of the pop star, it seems that her celebrity as a singer confers wisdom on politics. This is a common mistake among younger generations: We seem to desperately need cultural icons to advocate our cultural or political beliefs.
Why? Because everything in our culture has devolved into being either pro-something or anti-something. And young people seem to think that if a cultural idol does not hold the same values as they do, then they are probably on the wrong side of culture.
An example: Olivia Rodrigo, the American pop singer-songwriter and actress, visited the White House in 2021 to meet President Joe Biden and urged the younger generations to get vaccinated. The media know the importance of gaining the influence of pop stars like Rodrigo and Swift. Their popularity seems to add value to the cultural opinions they hold.
A woman named Sarah Smitts, who runs a fan account for Swift, recently started a trending hashtag, “#swiftiesforpalestine,” on X.
“Seeing all these devastating images and videos from Rafah has awoken something in all of us and we would love Taylor’s support. A lot of people with influence are speaking out and we see the effects this has,” Smitts told NBC News. Smitts later called Swift’s failure to speak out “frustrating.”
Undeniably, Swift has a huge platform and her influence is global. In the past, she has used her platform to vocalize support for Democratic politicians, advocate the LGBT community, and denounce the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
And of course there’s nothing new or unusual about celebrities spouting off on political topics. Think of actor Robert De Niro last week blasting former President Donald Trump outside of the New York courthouse.
Still, there’s no good reason for people to fall in line with celebrity opinions or to demand that celebrities speak up. The need for validation is a form of groupthink that is a sign of weakness. It undermines individuality, a virtue already noticeably lacking in my generation. There is a culture war taking place among young people, and the media and politicians use “influencers” to discourage free thinking.
Unfortunately, young people have forgotten that individuality is a good thing. All movements and trends begin with an individual idea that develops into something more influential. Today, there is no such thing as free thinking. Instead, there is pressure to be in the majority on cultural issues.
This is because young people do not understand the history of individuality. They forget that the most influential people throughout history are free thinkers. For instance, Rosa Parks, who was a major activist in the Civil Rights Movement and used her individuality to change culture.
Or Martin Luther King Jr., who was also willing to push back against the majority, becoming a historical figure throughout the civil rights era, once again showing that a free-thinking individual is necessary in any society.
But today, cancel culture is ready to shun and ridicule individuality. Even Swift is criticized for not speaking out to affirm her fan base’s majority social opinions.
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This is a tragedy. Individualism should be applauded — and no, dressing up in provocative costumes with thousands of others to march in a pride parade during June is not individualism. I mean authentically forming opinions on your own and not waiting for a celebrity to support those opinions.
Maybe hell would freeze over if, rather than voicing support for one thing or another, Swift would tell her fans to think for themselves. Until then, however, this is a reminder that individuality is still a good thing.