Fake It To Fit In
By Inaya Stojanovic Sep. 23, 2026
A day ago they had never seen the TV show. Now, they are desperate to look like a core member of the fandom, posting about characters, sending instagram stories with jokes from the show and revamping TikTok feed to instantly revolve around the show. On modern social media, this phenomenon is called LARPing—Gen Z's newest term for performative behavior that blurs the line between genuine self expression and a manufactured persona.
Originally, LARP stood for live action role play—a form of interactive entertainment where participants physically embody fictional characters. Today, internet subcultures use the word as a metaphor for hiding behind a digital mask. For teens, LARPing offers a constructive space to experiment with self-expression as they discover more about who they are. Offline, this kind of immersive roleplay allows adults to explore new parts of their personalities and escape daily routines by stepping into a character. Online, however, this dynamic shifts. Without the physical presence or real-world embodiment, digital LARPing often devolves into crafting fabricated personas. This raises questions about whether online identity reflects genuine self-discovery or mere performance.
“Recently, people are trying to fit in more than ever before. They’re lying about their interests to fit into trends,” Senior Diyana Gunaskera said.
Unlike traditional role-playing, online LARPing is often criticized as a fake adoption of a lifestyle or aesthetic, frequently manifesting as sudden aesthetic pivots—the overnight adoption of niche streetwear, obscure music tastes or trendy hobbies. Comment sections on TikTok and Instagram frequently use the term to call out perceived pretentiousness. At the same time, users also adopt the term self-deprecatingly in captions, poking fun at their own surface-level interest in a subculture. It has even become common for people to broadly research a book or show just to insert themselves into the fandom without ever reading or watching it. While online LARPing can function as lighthearted banter, it frequently fuels toxic social pressures around identity and belonging. Accusing someone of LARPing creates a way to police authenticity, turning online subcultures into competitive spaces where members are excluded for a perceived lack of real passion.
“People LARP mainly to gain social praise. For example, my friend likes to drive my car and send pictures acting as if it’s his car,” Junior Myriam Bensaad said.
The urge to fake niche interests often stems from an exaggerated need to stand out, while simultaneously fitting into specific digital subcultures. This takes the concept of individualism to an extreme, which is usually a positive ideology to promote. However, the result of these manicured personalities is a disruption of real personalities. As some people keep crafting their false personas they lose their real identity and only have their edited version be the only version of themselves. People are fabricating personas based on who they want to be rather than who they truly are. Social media amplifies the pressure by supporting users who are deemed more unique and intriguing, even if it is not accurate. The judgement on people who are allegedly unique or not leads to a desire to escalate the amount of LARPing to try and fit in by being different.
Ultimately, for certain users, the drive to appear unique has warped authentic self-expression into performative role play. The pressure to be authentic could blur the distinction between genuine identity and a carefully constructed online persona.
About the Contributors
Inaya Stojanovic
Staff Writer
Inaya Stojanovic is a junior at Leland High School and a writer for The Charger Account. When not being in a pool 24/7 and playing waterpolo, she is reading dystopian books, going to the gym, shopping with her best friends, and buying new clothes.
Grace Gu
Artist
Grace Gu is a freshman at Leland High School and an artist for The Charger Account. In her free time, she enjoys playing video games with her friends, watching shows and movies, and drawing.
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