I am a big fan of the TV show “Friends”. I actually consider it to be one of my personality traits. The powerful messages, the hilarious banter, the chemistry between actors, I love it. 

Well, I used to love it. When I saw everyone’s opinion of the sitcom on social media, I realized I was not a fan of the show. As a matter of fact, I consider disliking “Friends” one of my personality traits now. The lack of diversity, the exhausted laugh tracks, the clueless characters, I hate it. The show is simply overrated. 

Nowadays, everyone has an opinion. After all, we have the power to tweet, repost, comment, and even clickbait in the palms of our hands. Moreover, these growing mediums such as Tik Tok, Twitter, and Facebook are allowing more people to express themselves through their own words and beliefs. 

Our opinions are constantly changing. I find it intriguing how something we once deemed intolerable can grow on us, and something that we’ve always cherished can grow off of us. These shifts in thoughts and emotions can be seen anywhere. The type of music we listen to, the foods we eat, and even the celebrities we follow. For instance, look at Noah Centineo. Every girl I knew was head over heels for the actor until one day, he suddenly became more cringy than hot. 

Centineo was first accepted and admired by the public after the 2018 hit movie, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, released on Netflix. The actor plays Peter Kavinsky: the stereotypical popular guy who everyone likes. Centineo was on top of the world, receiving all sorts of future roles and being loved by his newly found fans. But, once the threequel: To All the Boys: Always and Forever released, the actor was perceived differently by his audience. His character in the movie was regarded as too annoying and awkward, and in real life, a previous fan tweeted “When he opens his mouth stupid things come out and it’s hard to think he’s hot after that.” In less than a week, he went from being America’s heartthrob to the most memed celebrity on Twitter. This is just one of the many examples of how quickly our opinions can change.

Alright, I am going to say it. I believe pineapple belongs on pizza. That’s my opinion, and I am sticking to it. A couple of years ago, I would have never admitted this simply because I was too afraid. I was so misguided that I would abandon my opinion just so I wouldn’t get ostracized by my peers. 

I used to scroll on social media and think to myself, “I am going to have that opinion.” I was never confident enough to express my feelings or ideas, thinking I’d get shut down and not fit into social norms. So, I always played it safe and went with the masses. But as I grew older and became more self-aware, I recognized that it’s better to be yourself than to care about others’ opinions. 

Once you let go of this barrier of hate and just stop caring, life becomes much more fun. It opens your world to unique perspectives, allowing you to step out of your comfort zone and try new things. 

Whether it’s something as minor as pineapple on pizza or as complex as our political beliefs, our opinions make us who we are, and we shouldn’t let anyone change that.