Conformity In Society

We would think that in such a modern and developed world, people would be encouraged to express their individuality and independent way of thinking, but is it really so? A few factors have lead me to believe otherwise; that our society, although not directly, forces conformity upon us, without us even realizing it.
One example of that is the media. Everywhere we turn, we see images and messages that encourage us to act all act different, but they give us "tips" on what "different" and "individual" should look like. If it's not on a billboard while walking across the street, it's an article in this month's Seventeen magazine. As a teenage girl, reading magazines like that all the time, I can say from my own experience that although individuality seems to be highly encouraged in their articles, conformity is forced. Magazines, television and other factors of pop culture use reverse psychology on people. It tells them to think for themselves and while they're preaching
Everyday in school we hear phrases like, "you can do whatever your heart desires in life" or "you can become whoever you dream to be", and in the background we hear the subliminal message of "but do it this way". This is not very uncommon. Every student hears that at least once a day in their classroom. Every morning, students are expected to all stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance and if a student refuses, some schools will take disciplinary action. More and more schools are enforcing uniforms in their schools. Students are not only now forced to act the same and think the same, but dress the same. Just like in religion, they explain to students the image of the "ideal person" and the way they should act, speak, and think. Children and adolescents struggle to find their self-identity to begin with, so planting the ideas of what you should be and how you should be it is easily absorbed by young people, and they know