Everyone relies on stereotypes, the generalizations that your brain comes up with about random groups of people, sometimes offensive, sometimes not. They have created the unreasonable world you live in today. They're like inside jokes gone horribly wrong. Stereotypes are similar to expired coupons. They are often used, rarely valid, and sometimes good for a laugh. Stereotypes aren’t always meant to cause harm, but when they do, they can wipe the grin right off anyone’s face.

Stereotypes are the little thought bubbles above your head that you don't even realize you’re thinking. Have you ever assumed someone's wealth based on what they are wearing? For example, if you see a man pacing down the street, wearing a tuxedo, and walking into the building of a large company, you assume he makes lots of money. Little do people know, he is running late to his interview, after being fired from his last job, while wearing a tuxedo he borrowed from his brother that is a few sizes too small.

The use of stereotypes can hurt and harm without any recognition at all. Imagine a teenage relationship. The girl is supposed to do all the crying, right? Because boys don’t cry. Now go tell the boyfriend, who just found out he was cheated on, that he’s not supposed to cry because of the stereotype that “boys don’t cry.” Most people would get a good laugh out of this specific stereotype in some situations, but I’m not sure they would laugh to get yelled at by that boy who was just cheated on. People may be wrong that boys don’t cry, but boys do tend to easily portray their anger.

On the other hand, there are plenty of stereotypes that are rarely taken to heart. Ever heard “dumb blonde” or “cops love donuts”? Plenty of stereotypes, similar to these, can easily attract some laughter. These stereotypes are so specific and so dumb they are drop dead hilarious. Where did they even come from? All New Yorkers are rude. Basic white girls love Starbucks Pink Drinks. Jocks are bullies and bad at schoolwork. These harmless, yet overused, stereotypes allow us to assume who someone is without having to get to know them.

Our minds develop stereotypes for specific groups of people. As a boy, when you are a kid, you evolve the stereotype that girls braid each other's hair, do makeup, have pillow fights, and engage in all kinds of girly activities when they hangout. As you become older and, for most, start hanging out with groups that include both guys and girls, you realize not all girls do the things you grew up believing. That's when the stereotype evaporates and you no longer see every girl as a Barbie doll from the movies your baby sister watches.

Some stereotypes people make up themselves, but nowadays they are mostly found through the biggest addiction known to humankind. Technology. People spend many hours everyday staring into screens both big and small, watching Tiktok, Instagram, Netflix, and any other apps you can think of. These apps develop stereotypes in our mind that we think we make up ourselves. How selfish, right? Taking credit for social media's view on specific groups of people. For example, your friend tells you her dad is getting remarried and the first question you ask is, “Is your stepmom mean?” What in the world would provoke a person’s first thought of a stepmother to be that she is mean? Let's go back to childhood when there was most likely a day you watched Cinderella. That's exactly where many people got the idea of “evil stepmothers.”  TV shows, movies, social media, they all trick your mind into viewing society the same way “everyone” else does. 

Stereotypes have guided people’s view of society since the day they let out their first cry. Although stereotypes can lead to laughter, they can also, like a faulty GPS, lead you straight through a field instead of to your dentist’s office. We all need to pave our own path towards others. Create your own punchlines. Be the star of your own show.