Children dream big. Some want to be astronauts and others, professional football players—but there is always something holding them back. For me, that something was my culture. When I was eight, I dreamed of working as an actor, but my family’s beliefs didn’t allow that. This made a huge influence on my identity. In today’s society, the way individuals express themselves is shaped by many factors. The question comes down to: How is our identity formed by influences beyond our control?

Bryant H. McGill, an activist in the field of human potential and human rights, wrote, “Every person’s true identity is beautiful, and much of the ugliness we observe in others was put inside of them by external influences.” External social and environmental influences have a significant impact on an individual’s identity, as their self-image is affected by social class and family. People linked to the lower working class are considered to be in the middle class. This means to their identity because it’d have an effect on their choice, they’d have limited opportunities and social contact. 

Some early childhood experiences of my life have had a great impact on my personality, appearance, and even aspirations. Growing up in India has influenced my identity a lot from a young age. India has a collectivistic culture, everything is done together and is based on family rather than individualism like the United States. There is a strong preference for belonging to a broader social framework where people are expected to act according to the greater good of their family. This has an impact on people’s future because decisions are made based on the family’s preference and cultural beliefs.

My family’s religious beliefs have also influenced my identity. I follow my family’s beliefs and participate in their religious activities; this contributes to me being more religious. 

The external environment can also contribute to how individuals view themselves and make choices. Social media holds a great influence on individuals; they tend to change themselves according to what they see. It influences their way of learning and thinking which leads to creating whole new identities. A 2013 study of freshmen women found that students who devoted most of their time to social media had “fewer academic behaviors, such as completing homework and attending class, lower academic confidence and more problems affecting their school work, like lack of sleep and substance abuse.” 

Social media influences people’s identity by influencing their beliefs and opinion on a specific topic. All in all, what we see, hear and how we adapt to what others do contributes to shaping our identity. This adaptation from others might have either a positive or negative impact on us because social media might also influence student’s or people’s opinions by providing false information. Picture perfect life on social media: People feel bad about their own appearance and identity after looking at social media pages of someone that they assumed is more attractive than them or if they have more beautiful and flawless pictures. Their level of anxiety and depression gets out of hand. It can be devastating to their self-esteem, and especially for their mental health. 

In the book, “Ender’s Game,” published on January 15, 1985, author Orson Scott Card says, “Perhaps it’s impossible to wear an identity without becoming what you pretend to be.” Your identity is also based on who you are or what you want to be in the future based on your career goals. People’s identities are shaped by their work or their desire to change their jobs. Our identity is sometimes out of our control when you can’t achieve the goals or career you have dreamed for your future. Sometimes some jobs are not available to us based on where we live. Also because of the restrictions in our culture and society as I mentioned in the beginning. I had to change my dream of what I wanted to be in the future because what I wanted to be before was not appropriate based on the culture I’m from and family thinking. Everyone can’t pursue all the goals and careers in their life they wanted to.  

Some people say that they create their own identity, but that is not the case. Based on my experiences, you may decide your own objectives and pursue them, but the influences of others also make you what you are