Sarah Blugis, a junior majoring in political communication, is The Hatchet’s contributing opinions editor.

If you are a college-aged woman, you’re basic.

You can’t escape that classification. In fact, none of us can. According to Urban Dictionary – as well as countless, useless Buzzfeed listicles – if you’ve ever had Starbucks, taken a selfie, worn leggings or Uggs, or even owned an iPhone, you’re basic. End of discussion. Nothing else about your life is significant enough to change that fact.

The “basic bitch” phenomenon is one that has invaded millennial culture over the past few years. A College Humor video on the subject gained popularity in March, and even prominent media outlets like New York Magazine have started talking about and analyzing “basic girls.”

Now that it’s fall, the unofficial season of all basic bitches, the term is being thrown around more than ever.

Though we used to use “basic” to describe girls who participate in popular trends, now the word applies to nearly every female student on this campus and every college across the country. Sometimes I even find myself concealing my pumpkin spice latte or resisting posting a photo on Instagram for fear of acquiring this label, and I’m sure I’m not alone.

It might seem innocent, but placing women into a broad category for such insignificant reasons is offensive. Calling someone “basic” diminishes everything else about her and assumes that she’s nothing special. If a woman has something in common with the rest of her gender, she isn’t an individual in any way – she’s “just another girl.” And that’s unfair.

We don’t automatically assume that a man is bland and ordinary just because he happens to like something that’s popular. But ladies, the moment you take a sip from a decorative mug or even put on Essie nail polish, according to sites like Buzzfeed, you’re boring.

Though we do make generalizations about men, for example by referring to some as “bros,” they have autonomy over the categories in which they’re placed. College men own the term “bro” and can use it however they want, meaning it doesn’t always carry a negative connotation. Oppositely, “basic” is derogatory no matter who says it, and it isn’t a term that women have chosen for themselves.

Unfortunately, I’ve heard both men and women use “basic” to describe girls on this campus, and even I’m guilty of letting the term slip on occasion. And it doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon.

So ladies, ignore it. Don’t label others as basic and don’t be afraid to participate in what’s now known as “basic culture.”

You want to wear leggings to class today? They’re comfortable. Go for it. Have you been itching to post an Instagram of the red and orange leaves on the Vern? It’s a pretty picture. Do it. You want to dress up like a cat for Halloween? It can be an easy, cute costume. You do you.

It’s possible to be a unique, interesting person and still do what you want. Forget about what men think, and forget about what society’s expectations are.

That photo of you in a pumpkin patch makes a great profile picture, and that doesn’t make you basic.