Iconic or irritating? A rundown on 'main character' energy

Imagine yourself in the opening scene of a 2000s Rom-Com. Think The Devil Wears Prada. ‘Suddenly I See’ by KT Tunstall plays over your walk to uni or work, making you feel like the only person in the world. That’s my interpretation of ‘main character energy’. However, social media has taken this empowering, feel-good energy to the next level making everyone desire to be the main character.

Urban Dictionary defines ‘Main Character Syndrome’ as ‘when someone thinks they are the main character of their life. Usually comes with a side of individuality complex, quirky style and a self-centred point of view’. The core idea behind this TikTok obsession with being the ‘main character’ is self-love and prioritising yourself. And I completely agree with that. Doing what makes you happy, putting your needs first alongside your mental and physical well-being. However, these main character narratives could be misinterpreted where people confuse self-care with self-obsession, or as Urban Dictionary calls it a ‘self-centred point of view’. There is a crucial difference between prioritising your own needs and demanding that the world revolves around you.

On TikTok, we can see that it’s flooded with videos showcasing elaborate ‘main character’ daily routines performed online to receive external validation of their perfect life. For example, I’ve seen morning routines for ‘main characters’ whereby you have to wake up at 5 or 6 AM, have a perfect coffee, do Pilates on your apartment balcony in the sunshine, read for an hour, go on a walk, etc. Therefore, watching these performative routines can make us set high and unrealistic expectations of ourselves in order to seek external validation and be like the girls we see online, rather than living how we want to live.

This trend, therefore ignores the complexities of real life. Life isn’t a movie; there are no guaranteed happy endings. Your personality is not determined by how your morning routine pans out. Obsessing over being the ‘main character’ can lead to disappointment with your own reality and can cause insensitivity to others, who may be struggling with their own challenges, away from the romanticised life shown on our 'For You Page's.

So, even though I am a strong advocate for prioritising your well-being, the romanticised main character's energy distorts self-care and can blur the line between self-care and selfishness. It is more important to focus on empathy and meaningful connections, rather than choosing self-validation and a manufactured sense of importance. True self-love isn’t about craving the spotlight, it’s about taking care of yourself and contributing positivity to the world around you.