Alex's Answer
My interests are so different to everyone else’s, what do I do?
Your Question
Hi Alex! I know u probably hear this a lot about teenagers wanting to fit in with others. But I’m starting to think that I need to like certain things I don’t. Its The simple things such as the shows I watch and music I listen to, it’s quite different from what’s popular and I always say I don’t listen to music or watch shows because I don’t want to be judged or seen as weird for not knowing what’s popular. So I play dumb instead. I watch a lot of LGBT and gay shows because it makes me feel inclusive but then I never know about the newest popular shows my friends talk of. I don’t think they would understand my taste of music or why I watch certain things so my answer is always avoiding. Am I weird for not liking what’s popular or for not wanting to share my taste in music?
Answer
Hi there, you are very welcome to Ask Alex.
Thank you for contacting us. We understand that it’s not always easy to share how we’re feeling, or what’s going on for us, but we also know how important it is to talk about it. You have been very brave to come on to us here and ask your question.
From what you have said, it sounds like you feel you don’t share many common interests such as music or TV shows with your friends. The number one thing to mention here is that you are absolutely not weird for not always liking whatever is trending at any given time. It would be a very boring world if we were all alike and liked the same things! We are all individuals, and we should allow ourselves to be unique, because that is what we are.
You can still be part of your friend group/s even though you might not be into the exact same things. Quite often, the fact that someone feels free to be themselves, is the very thing that other people find interesting and appealing. It is important that we listen to ourselves in terms of our wants and needs, and we only do what feels right and comfortable for us.
Have you ever shared your interests with your friend group and if so, how did that go for you? If not, would you consider being open about your music and TV show preferences? Is there someone in your group who you think will be most receptive to you sharing your interests? If you want to, perhaps you could try talking to this particular friend first rather than sharing with the whole group as that can be rather intimidating. You never know, you might introduce your friend to something they end up loving just as much as you do!
It’s important to remember you’re not alone in this, Childline are always here to listen when you need to talk about whatever is on your mind. If you ever feel like chatting to us, you are very welcome to call anytime on 1800 66 66 66 or you can also contact us online by visiting www.childline.ie. All of our services are free, available 24 hours a day and are a confidential and non-judgmental service.
Hopefully, this reply will be helpful to you and please know you’re welcome to contact us again if you need to talk.
Take care,
Alex.