As humans, are we allowed to determine our own individuality? If so, what impact can we have on our own originality? The answer to the first question is yes, however, the answer to the second question has changed over the years due to the progress of our world. Identity is, in a sense, “an unfolding story… continually reworked through experience” (Sennett 175–176). In other words, a person develops their identity through the experiences they have throughout their life, usually while growing up. Today, people have more choices about their future than in the past. Some examples of this “control” are due to advances in science and technology, education programs, culture, and what is shown in the media. Due to (but not limited to) these factors, a person has more control but also more influence over the development of their own identity. Advances in science and technology are one way people are changing the way they identify themselves. With these advances, very little about a person's figure is set in stone. Aspects such as a person's height, weight, and appearance can be easily changed. For example, if someone doesn't like the way they look, they can pay a surgeon to transform their body into the figure they desire. Nowadays, people can even change the genres they associate with to some extent. Since 1997, the total number of cosmetic procedures performed has increased by 279% (“American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery”). The curriculum taught in schools has a huge effect on a person's developing identity. Through school, we tend to question the things we believed to be true when we were children....... middle of paper ......h/where you grew up. Some personal opinions are influenced by culture, such as opinions about relationships. For example, some people believe in arranged marriages and look down on casual relationships while casual relationships are considered normal for someone else. The effect of culture is thought to depend on "the extent of the parents' cultural identification" (Shim 92-27). There are countless factors that influence how people personify themselves. Ultimately, the formation of one's identity depends on the person themselves. Things like media, culture, and education certainly play a role in determining identity, but it is important for people to determine their own uniqueness by not conforming to everything they may see or hear from these influences. How people decide to shape their own personality directly affects their future.