Fall is finally here along with everyone’s favorite things: apple picking, pumpkins, changing leaves, sweater weather and more.

Starbucks released its pumpkin spice latte early this year, to the cheers of many. Although pumpkin flavored items aren’t my cup of tea, they have become the symbol of the autumnal season.

However, apparently now you can’t enjoy the many perks of fall without being labeled as “basic.”

Basic girls love apple picking. Drinking a pumpkin spice latte is so basic. Uggs and North Faces are a basic girl’s staples.

Urban Dictionary defines the term as, “an adjective used to describe any person, place, activity involving obscenely obvious behavior, dress, action.” In one of the definitions, they use the following example: “Basics are the typical girl that thinks they are cool because they’re artsy, can make a duck face, carry around coffee cups and wear designer brands.”

This term has become popular recently, circulating around the Internet and being used by college students in all sorts of conversations. I have to admit, I even indulged in taking BuzzFeed’s quiz, “How Basic are You?”

However, I take issue with this label.

Why you might ask? Well, frankly, I think it’s insulting and while not always used in the most offensive way, the word implies some sort of offense itself. It seems to me, that in our day and age, we are too obsessed with labeling people, trying to find a way to round everyone up and say, “Hey, you are this: be it basic, hipster, whatever.”

Speaking of the term hipster, which originally categorizing a sort of alternative lifestyle, quickly developed another meaning all together. The word hipster, and “being one” surged in popularity, which is exactly what real hipsters were trying to avoid. But soon, hipster meant people who wore plaid and “geeky” glasses. Hipsters didn’t want to be called hipsters and the word itself even has come to adopt some sort of negative connotation.

Just like “hipster” became negative, I feel that calling people basic just because they have certain tastes or wear certain things is downright rude and ridiculous. I like Taylor Swift, so what? I like to wear Uggs; I think they’re warm and comfortable. Does that make me basic? Well frankly, I don’t care.

I think it’s high time that we stop labeling each other and judging others based on their taste in clothes, music and so on. If we all took some time to reflect on the way we talk about other people, I think we’d realize we have some work to do.

I won’t even get started on the fact that I’ve only heard the term “basic” used in reference to women, not men. But, regardless, if you enjoy activities and things that other people consider “basic,” embrace it. Embrace you, no matter who you are.

As my girl T-Swizzle says, “Haters gonna hate, I’m just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, I shake it off.”

To contact the Ionian’s Randa Kriss, e-mail her at [email protected]