Social labels divide authenticity and perception

Despite agreeing on gender equality, students shy away from the feminist label, fearing how it may affect them socially.

By: Mariam Mkrtchian, Social Media Editor

(Daisy Tapia for the Valley Star)

If you ask students on campus whether they believe in equal rights for men and women, the answer is almost always yes. But ask those same students if they consider themselves feminists, and the room gets quieter. In a generation where labels carry more social weight than ever, students seem less concerned with what feminism actually means and more concerned with what the word now represents.

Betty Friedan once described women’s societal issues as “the problem that has no name.” Feminism has addressed—and continues to address—these once unacknowledged problems such as legal recognition of equality and bodily autonomy. However, over time, feminism has transformed from a powerful movement to a term that has been overly misused in the media, losing much of its original strength.

Although the societal perceptions of women have undoubtedly progressed, they are still misrepresented through exaggerated portrayals in the media. Caught between extremes, some students who support gender equality are distancing themselves from the word entirely.

A flaw in our society today is that most young adults live online and are obsessed with labels. Unfortunately, most people don't choose labels based on their actual definitions but rather on the value it holds in society.

The concern about how individuals are perceived by others often outweighs their true opinions. Although people claim to be against labels, they simultaneously desire to fit into a category that is admired or comforting; feminist is rarely one of them. 

Two students, Karo and Samvel Ksachikyan, acknowledged that there are still existing inequalities within our society. They continued to express their belief that men and women deserve equality and that some of their beliefs do align with feminism. Yet, they would rather not associate themselves with the label “feminist” because they associate it with “weird people.”

In the media, feminism is often described as “woke” or “too political”, a nowadays derogatory label for individuals seen as excessively politically correct or socially conscious. Those who view the term "woke" negatively may hesitate to embrace feminism because they associate it with a broader cultural shift that they perceive as divisive.

An issue that has revived with new social movements is that women who identify as feminists are stereotyped as unfeminine or less attractive. Historically, this stereotype discouraged women from adopting the label. With the new “traditional femininity” that has gradually made a reappearance in media, the association with feminism has declined, especially because of societal pressures that are more prevalent.

For some, that risk feels greater than the reward of standing firmly in what they actually believe. In avoiding the label to escape judgement, they unintentionally reinforce the very misconceptions they disagree with.

This hesitation reflects something larger than feminism; it reflects a culture where reputation overshadows authenticity. Social media amplifies this pressure, turning identities into brands and beliefs into performance.

If we pride ourselves on being a generation that values individuality, then we must also value the courage it takes to claim what we believe. Otherwise, we risk becoming a generation full of inauthentic copies.