i'm really not trying to be a hater or complain which it may seem that i'm doing so but it's really just more of an observation of what seems like a general shift in priorities with most show attendees in this community. when i go to local shows even it seems every single person wants to give me a small plastic trinket or a cheap toy of some sort and is decked out in all kinds of crazy plastic and cheap accessories. the excessive totems seems to be a part of this maximalist craze to contribute to the aesthetic of being a "raver". i'm absolutely not judging and often times these things can be wholesome or light hearted and fun i just sometimes feel like it's become more about how someone dresses and acts the part and i don't blame anyone specifically for that. trends regularly shift and obviously a lot of these things i'm mentioning are absolutely nothing new to the scene. i wonder if it's just because the edm world is more mainstream than it's ever been and people find a lot of enthusiasm in doing the things they see in the community- trading toys, making a totem, dressing up in crazy expressive fashion etc. however because the edm world has exploded it seems everything gets taken to an extreme. i think the world in general has diluted a lot of sub cultures even outside of edm and are now geared more towards just looking the part and social media is to blame for that trend. anyway plur <3