From Sam Edge, Ringwood, Hampshire, UK
The behaviour described in The Lonely Crowd does indeed seem very applicable to modern social media, as Annalee Newitz argues. However, it’s been very common for at least a century (24 January, p 20).
Every generation thinks they’re being more individual by “rebelling” and becoming a flapper, teddy boy, mod, biker, rocker (that was me), punk, skin head, goth or whatever. This always involves dressing the same as all the others in your new-found group, liking the same music, doing the same things and having the same opinions. All this while insisting to everyone that they are asserting their individuality.
