Admit it, we’ve all thought of ourselves as the main characters of a made-up narrative, but what does it mean to have main character syndrome?
Many of us have waited for the Hogwarts letter that never arrived, the old wardrobe leading to Narnia, a satyr to tell us we’re a demi-god, or the superpowers we didn’t realise we had. Sometimes, we even look into the ‘camera of our lives’ when something happens to us, sort of how sitcom characters would glance at the camera. Using our experiences as a means of our ‘character development’. Internet users have used this concept and dubbed it ‘Main Character Syndrome’, creating content depicting themselves as the main character of an unidentified cosmic narrative.
Many young people, specifically Gen Z babies, have chosen to process feelings of inadequacy and loneliness through the trend of being the main character living through an archetypal ‘hero’s journey’. It’s more of an internet term than a scientific one, and includes the behaviour or thought by someone that they are the lead character in a fictional version of their life – or someone else’s. The internet (especially those on TikTok) might be familiar with the concept through fan fiction where the use of the ‘your name’ (y/n) trope includes the reader as a lead in the story.
By fictionalising reality, those with Main Character Syndrome create a way to feel like they’re recognised, or that the events and curveballs in life are all due to a greater narrative developing. Everyone wants to believe that their crush is thinking about them the same way, or that we’ll be intertwined with a celebrity, or be ‘chosen’ as remarkable. The ‘main character’ trend is about being made important. Things like being watched or going through tough times, which are usually ‘bad’ things, are craved for by those with the ‘syndrome’. After all, those jaw-dropping, tear-jerking, grand-gesture moments we see in films only happen because there is an audience.
Does this mean we’re narcissists?
Imagination and creativity have always been a huge part of many misunderstood teens and young adults. Listening to Taylor Swift’s ‘All Too Well’ while thinking about how we’ve been ‘done wrong’, some people are also convinced that they’ve been cast in a Truman Show-like film. Some studies have suggested that many narcissists are greatly creative. To be fair, the art world is often filled with egotistical personalities. But does that mean that those with Main Character Syndrome, or those that are overly imaginative in fictionalising our lives, are narcissistic? Not necessarily. Some people with the ‘syndrome’ do display narcissistic qualities, such as being the Lizzie McGuires or Harry Potters amongst a bunch of side characters, while others use the idea of life as a novel to make sense of everything. And perhaps to realise a self-worth where we might feel like the side character in our own life stories but should be in the lead role. It’s a way for everyone to be a little semi-narcissistic, as writer Jozie Konczal says, ‘I can be my own main character, just as everyone else can be theirs’.
There are some mixed feelings about this new trend, though, as some find it corny and clichéd. Content creators, like Yasmine Sahid on TikTok, parody scenes such as the feeling of coming home for the holidays or staring out of a frosted window as seen in many films. Yet, it gives people a sense of ‘control’ over their lives and allows them to share how they’re feeling – even if it’s in an unconventional way. Perhaps talking to the people around you, or acknowledging yourself aside from an audience (as is done in Fleabag) will help too. After all, every main character needs their squad.
Words by Saadiqah Schroeder
Photography: Pexels
