Being a One-Dimensional Human
be a human not a product
Bi-âsm-illÄh
I donât know if thereâs an official word for it yet â the closest concept I can think of is not being put into a box.
Being âone-dimensionalâ is when you have no depth; your identity becomes flattened into a single niche.
I realized something about myself a while ago: I cannot stand to be perceived as a one-dimensional being.
There was a precise moment I realized this, and it dates back to 2014 - four years after Instagram launched and was rapidly growing. Back then, hijabi girls like myself were rarely shown in fashion spaces or featured alongside major brands. That began to change when Instagram became a space for modest fashion - where hijabi design students could finally showcase their creativity. I was in love.
As someone whoâs always found clothing to be a creative outlet, especially after years of wearing uniforms, fashion felt like liberation. Around the same time, I became close friends with a hijabi fashion student who loved the way I used to style hijabs. I would be so extra - adding jewelry, making braids, and twisting fabric.
She asked me to be her hijab stylist for her fashion show, and it was one of the coolest experiences of my life.
We couldnât stop after the fashion show - we started dressing up every other day and taking pictures for the âgram. And people around the world were noticing. Every day, my follower count was growing.
Back then, reach was organic. People followed you for you. I was trending upward; I couldâve easily been the next Dina or Yasmine or any of the hijabi influencers redefining modest fashion.
But then something inside me shifted.
I started to feel this creeping discomfort - the thought I couldnât get out of my mind: Iâd only ever be known as that hijabi fashion girl and literally nothing more.
Getting my first hate comment didnât help either. I was too optimistic to handle haters without letting it affect me.
I ended up growing apart from that fashionista friend, stopped posting as much, privatized my account, and started cheering on the other hijabi influencers from the sidelines.
Still, I cherish those memories. It was a fun, exciting time - but it also revealed something I now call âthe one-dimensional trap.â
The One-Dimensional Trap
This trap is being pushed on us through algorithms - through the way social media is set up.
If you find success in one area, suddenly thatâs all people see you as. Once you go viral, youâre expected to repeat yourself forever. And eventually, the inevitable happens: capitalism turns you into a product.
I see it everywhere online - creators stuck inside the boxes that made them famous. The influencer who canât post anything but get ready with me videos.
How do people live like that? How do you exist knowing youâve become your own brand - one that canât evolve unless you have a major life event, like a baby? So now youâre an Insta model and a mom, lol?
Honestly, I canât even watch influencers anymore. Itâs like watching a loop: another fast-fashion trend, another brand launch, another monetized moment.
Sometimes I just want to yell, âHijabi sisters, please, expand your horizons! We have enough modest fast fashion to last four generations!â
As a graphic designer, I understand branding rules - consistency, repetition, recognizability. Use this font. These colors. Never deviate.
But as humans, thatâs not how weâre meant to live.
We arenât brands.
Weâre meant to grow, to change, to evolve.
Every title Iâve ever had, I ended up outgrowing it. I never want to be defined by just one thing. My interests change constantly; no one can keep up - and I like it that way.
The Only Identity Worth Keeping
There is one identity I donât mind being known for: being a religious person.
I know some people shy away from that label, but to me, faith and caring about my religion is the only thing that truly matters.
Islam isnât just a belief system; itâs a way of life - a structure for the heart and the mind. It has enough depth to last a lifetime of lessons, growth, and ultimately, closeness to the Divine.
In a world that rewards superficiality, being grounded in something infinite is a kind of rebellion.
Itâs the only title that doesnât confine me but expands me.
So to you reading this: think about who you are and what you stand for. Think about how others perceive you, and whether youâve accidentally become a brand version of yourself.
Challenge the box everyone is trying to shove you into.
Youâre allowed to change.
Youâre allowed to outgrow your own âniche.â
You are not one-dimensional and you never have to be.