Rebuilding Rob

As WordPress continues to recycle old prompts, I pulled another prompt from The Coffee Monsterz Co to respond to today

What is a bandwagon you jumped on?

The bandwagon mentality is a fascinating, funny thing. For years, we’ve been subtly (or overtly) indoctrinated with the need to ‘keep up with the Joneses,’ leading most people to chase whatever is currently cool, be it fashion, TV, movies, or music.

On the flip side, you have the gatekeepers—the anti-bandwagon crowd—who use phrases like, ‘Yeah, I liked that band before it was cool.’ Their drive isn’t just to follow the trend, but to be the first one to find it. I’ve been on both sides of this coin, but recently, one trend managed to hook me: TikTok

Tik Tok: The Consumer, Not the Creator

My current obsession is TikTok. It’s probably the most insanely addictive social media app I’ve encountered since Facebook. The funny part is that I didn’t jump on the ‘creator’ bandwagon; I jumped on the consumer bandwagon. I don’t post, lip sync, or engage in any ridiculous dances. Instead, I’m constantly amazed at the sheer volume of content, from journalists disseminating information, to niche communities.

The Detroit Lions: Not a Full Jump, But a Seat on the Bus.

I can’t claim full-bandwagon status, but yes, I am absolutely a fan of the Lions now that they are winning. Having spent most of my life in the Detroit metro area, I can attest that ‘Lions football’ for decades was less about sports and more about a Sunday afternoon pastime while waiting for Tigers season to start again.

I realize the previous owner, William Clay Ford, lacked the ruthless mindset it takes to build a winning football team. While he was reputedly a nice guy and loyal boss, he seemed more content just printing his own money than chasing Super Bowl rings. However, this new regime, now led by William Clay Ford’s daughter, Sheila, is impossible not to cheer for

Falling off the bandwagon

The funny thing about trends is that the older we get, the less important the whole ‘keep up with the Joneses’ idea becomes. We realize that the pressure to be cool is a self-imposed one, and often, actively resisting the bandwagon is the most satisfying choice.

The clearest example of this freedom is slang. We hear people debating the ridiculousness of Gen Alpha’s terms, like ‘skibidi’ or ‘rizz.’ And yes, I think the new slang sounds stupid. But the greater point is that my generation isn’t supposed to like it. Just as my parents couldn’t stand the slang of my youth, new generations need their own language to define themselves, and I’m happy to wave goodbye to that trend.

The same goes for fashion. As we age, we often stop trying to stay current, choosing instead to find our own style—selecting our favorite past trends and just sticking with them. The true freedom isn’t jumping on the bandwagon; it’s recognizing when it’s okay to let it pass you by.

Thanks for stopping by Rebuilding Rob. Be sure to like, 👍 comment and subscribe to my blog below. It’s greatly appreciated! Also, feel free to follow me on social media as well! Check out my most recent posts as well as some earlier, related (and perhaps, not-so-related) posts:

• Of Training Wheels and Christmas Lights
• Charity Starts at Home (And I’m Back in My Childhood One)
• The Muscle of Empathy
• Where Do We Go From Here? Five Years Since January 6.
• Bugs, Boundaries, and the Art of Not Being Invisible

AI art created with Google Gemini.

The article “Confessions of a Bandwagon Jumper (and Why I’m Happily Falling Off)” first appeared on Rebuilding Rob.