Math explains the hipster look
They want to be unique, but they all use tote bags and horn-rimmed glasses, and wear skinny jeans. A mathematical model now explains why hipsters fail miserably when trying to pull off an individual look.
Hipsters really just follow the herd
They want to be unique, but they all wear skinny jeans, and use tote bags and horn-rimmed glasses - like here at the Berlin Hipster Cup Festival. In his new paper, French mathematician Jonathan Touboul used statistical physics to point out the fact that hipsters are a not-so-unique mass phenomenon.
Late trendsetters
Time plays a significant role in Touboul's model. Hipsters discover trends too late, the mathematician says. So in the end, they usually all learn about a trend at the same time. The best example is Club Mate, a caffeinated sparkling beverage, which suddenly became popular with hipsters. Throughout the years, a hipster look evolved - which is a paradox in itself, if you think about it.
Individuality is an illusion
And that brings us to Touboul's next point: Hipsters tend to delude themselves. They might look different compared to their small circle of family members and friends. But they often ignore the fact that other people in their environment have pretty much the same ideas and a very similar look.
Avoiding the mainstream is mainstream
In his paper: "The hipster effect: When anticonformists all look the same," Touboul differentiates between the mainstream and anticonformists - in other words, hipsters. The mainstream makes up the majority, while hipsters demonstratively take a stand against established views. The paradox? The more they try to be different, the more they follow the same trends and the more mainstream they become.
Hipsters have role models as well
So we already established that the factor of time is responsible for making hipsters into hipsters. But there's another important factor: role models. Turns out, hipsters look up to others as well. New trends shared on blogs or by members of the in-crowd have a huge impact on the collective look, Touboul says.
All jokes aside
Admittedly, subculture and mathematics seem like two very different domains that have nothing on common. And so it's not surprising that Touboul's model wasn't actually designed for hispters at all, even if they'd like to believe that ...
Hipsters and neuroscience
The mathematical formula is actually used in economics and finances to explain why stockbrokers sell shares when everyone else is buying. It also helps neuroscientists research why particular neurons are active while others are passive. But hey, if you add the words "hipster" to "mathematic formula," the whole thing automatically becomes a little more exciting, right?