#social-identity

#social-identity

You know that split-second pause when someone asks what you do for a living at a party? That momentary calculation where you decide whether to say "I'm a writer" or "I work in content creation" or maybe throw in something about "behavioral analysis"? I've been there more times than I can count, and it got me thinking about all the tiny choices we make that secretly broadcast who we are, or who we want people to think we are.

I fall down YouTube rabbit holes sometimes as a way of unwinding. Lately, the algorithm has been sending me videos of teenagers covering rock songs from the '70s and early '80s, and some of them are better than they have any right to be. I've been particularly struck by how many of these bands choose to do covers of Rush songs.

Sadly, there are signs that racism is increasing across the world. Research from Europe and Australia in recent years has found a rise in the number of people experiencing racism. Reports from the U.S. and U.K. have indicated that most ethnic minority participants felt racism was getting worse. And a global study has found rising incidents of discrimination. Animosity toward those who appear different to us seems easy to arouse, especially in times of hardship and upheaval.