讲解人 · Lala
原文
Following trends isn’t a sign of character weakness or mental health trouble.
Instead, says psychologist Pamela B. Rutledge, it’s perfectly normal.
The reason?
“Social connection, “ a psychological concept that refers to humans’ core need to belong to a social group and connect with others.
No one is exempt from following fads, noticing trends, or signaling their perceived or real belonging to social groups, says Rutledge.
But one group in particular is even more prone to follow trends — even risky ones: Tweens, teens, and young adults.
As children start the road toward adult independence, they look for ways to express their individuality.
Ironically, this can produce sometimes desperate attempts to prove affiliation with socially credible in-groups — and can stoke desire to stand out with the help of viral trends.
But even adults can fall victim to the desire to signal social difference.
Consider the midlife crisis: Though the paradigm is still hotly debated, some research has shown that individuals may be more sensitive to social reward — positive input from members of their social circles — during midlife.
Nor is social media the only place to find virality and socially relevant trends: Rutledge cites everything from flags to shoulder pads to tattoos and cars as social signals.
So the next time you put on makeup — or get dressed, order a meal in public, decide on a bumper sticker, or purchase a vehicle — consider that your decision may not be as personalized as you may think.
“It’s really just an ingrained response, “ says Rutledge — one that can be explained by our need to fit in with (or stand out from) the crowd.
带着问题听讲解
- 如何理解短语 fall victim to？
- 文章中，哪个群体更容易“随大流”？
- 文章是怎么解释“中年危机”这个概念的？
讲解
重点词汇
exempt
/ɪɡˈzɛmpt/
adj. 被免除的
- 例句：Goods exempt from this tax include books and children's clothes.搭配短语：be exempt from
- 近义词：be free/excused from
- 例句：You're free/excused from paying taxes on that income.
fad
/fæd/
n. 一时的风尚，短暂的狂热
- 相关词汇：fiddle-faddle（n. 无聊的事情或小事)英文释义：a style, activity, or interest that is very popular for a short period of time例句：Diet fads come and go.例句：There was a fad for wearing ripped jeans a few years ago.
signal
/ˈsɪɡ.nəl/
v. 发信号
- 例句：His actions signal that he's interested.
perceived
/pərˈsiːvd/
adj. 感知到的，理解的
- 相关词汇：perceive（v. 感知、认知）
- 例句：Risks are perceived differently by different people.
belonging
/bɪˈlɔːnɪŋ/
n. 归属感；所有物
- 例句：A sense of belonging is one of humanity's most basic needs.
prone
/proʊn/
adj. 倾向于的
- 搭配短语：be prone to do something相关词汇：accident-prone（adj. 易出事故的）；injury-prone（adj. 易受伤的）
tween
/twiːn/
n.（儿童）8岁到12岁之间的孩子
- 相关词汇：between例句：The tween years can be challenging for both kids and their parents.
individuality
/ˌɪndɪˌvɪdʒuˈælɪti/
n. 个性，个人特征
- 例句：Her individuality is reflected in her unique fashion choices.
affiliation
/əˌfɪliˈeɪʃən/
n. 隶属关系，加入
- 英文释义：a connection with a political party or religion, or with a larger organization搭配短语：political affiliations
credible
/ˈkrɛdəbəl/
adj. 可信的，可靠的
- 搭配短语：credible evidence
in-group
/ɪn ɡruːp/
n. 内部团体，小圈子
- 例句：She felt a strong sense of belonging to her in-group of friends.
stoke
/stoʊk/
v. 给……添加燃料，激起
- 例句：He's been accused of stoking up racial hatred in the region.
fall victim to
成为……的受害者
- 英文释义：to be hurt, damaged, or killed because of something or someone例句：Sea turtles in this region often fall victim to the effects of pollution.
midlife crisis
中年危机
- 例句：He bought a motorcycle during his midlife crisis.
paradigm
/ˈpær.ə.dɪm/
n. 范例，范式
- 英文释义：a model of something, or a very clear and typical example of something
virality
/vaɪəˈlɪti/
n. 病毒性，传播性
cite
/saɪt/
v. 引用，引证
- 英文释义：to mention something as proof for a theory or as a reason why something has happened例句：She cited three reasons why people get into debt.
shoulder pad
肩垫
bumper
/ˈbʌmp.ər/
n. 保险杠，丰富的数量
- 搭配短语：bumper car（碰碰车）英文释义：larger in amount than usual例句：Farmers have reported a bumper crop this year.
ingrained
/ɪnˈɡreɪnd/
adj. 根深蒂固的，习惯性的
- 相关词汇：grano（拉丁语，种子或者颗粒）例句：The oil had become ingrained in his skin.例句：Such ingrained prejudices cannot be corrected easily.
