Taking Things Personally

Is it just me or is everyone in the world taking things more and more personally these days?

A growing wave of individualism and personal expression has been sweeping in slowly for the past few years, but it seems ever since this pesky recession everyone keeps talking about, the wave has grown into a full-blown tsunami. Everywhere you go there are initials scattered on everything from necklaces to notebooks, and customizable everything.

You can build your own computer at http://www.dell.ca/ and include as few or as many snazzy specifications you can think of to suit your everyday needs. Jean "bars", such as https://thebluesjeanbar.com/ allow you to order from a "menu" of brands, styles, washes and sizes just as you would order a martini at a downtown hotspot. Ralph Lauren's Rugby label offers shoppers a multitude of shapes and vintage patches to construct their own Rugby shirts http://www.rugby.com/makeyourown/?ab=topnav_myo (so you can achieve that varsity-cool look of a campus jock even if you don't know the difference between a "ruck" and a "maul"). And it's safe to say most of us have walked by that suburban mall staple and little kid lure "Build a Bear" at some point in our lives and gawked in the windows (if they ever come up with a Coco Chanel or Lady Gaga bear, I might be lured in myself).

Anyone with two feet and a heartbeat (and the desire to be an individual) can design and/or purchase anything they could possibly want exactly to their personal specifications. There has been a resurgence (in these economically uncertain months) in DIY - crafting, cooking (and with local food), and working at home/freelance jobs. All of these activities involve an element of personalization and smack of a desire to get back in touch with our "true" selves. People are not just spending time and money helter-skelter - they are thinking about the impact of what they do on themselves (short/long term), their families, and their neighbourhood. Plus, there is a reason that haute couture is still alive and well even though the economy is not, social networking systems such as Facebook and Twitter are growing exponentially each day, and there seems to be an iPhone app for just about anything (including the Ralph Lauren Make Your Own Rubgy, by the way).

I find this to be a very interesting phenomenon in a society which, arguably, in many ways is becoming more and more homogeneous. With technology advancing at warp speed, we have access to any information we could possibly want at the touch of a button, and as a result our lives are easier but also in a way more complicated. This advancement is also eliminating some of the need and desire for personal interaction, and self-sufficiency.

So, perhaps this wave of personalization is a counter-point to these changes in society - a life preserver for those struggling to stay afloat in the enormous flood of consumer messages and information out there, particularly with the advent of the Internet. Perhaps, we are looking for ways to carve our own niche within the madness and make ourselves known in a world that is becoming less and less personal - a form of protest and a coping mechanism all in one.When it comes right down to it, I feel most humans are simply looking to be understood and to understand in life, and this is what drives us toward personalization. We just want to find meaning in what we do.

I find this trend simultaneously worrisome (in terms of it being proof of our society's decline) and exciting. But, as someone who has always been attracted to and supportive of people and trends outside the mainstream, I plan on riding this wave for a little while. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a bear to build with its own special rugby shirt and jeans and I need to post it to my Facebook page ASAP.