My close friend and I work in the same industry and create content on social media. They literally make content using the same ideas or style as I do, but they never acknowledge it. Should I directly say something, or should I just keep a cold distance and wait for the issue to resolve itself? It's really bothering me.
Honey, if I were you, I would talk to them directly. This feels like they're scheming behind your back. If you keep swallowing things like this, it will just keep piling up on you. You need to sit them down and say, 'this can't go on like this.'
I think you should speak openly. If you're in the same industry, things like this are noticed more in front of everyone. You need to maintain your own style. It's clear that they're copying you; being cold without talking won't solve anything, in my opinion. 🫠
This situation might be approaching the plagiarism threshold. If the originality of your idea and style can be proven, you might consider getting support from an expert. But it would be beneficial to discuss this openly with them beforehand.
So, there's this thing I realized when I thought about it a bit more: Maybe they might be doing it unconsciously because I've seen people whose styles mix before. But in the end, it's really disturbing for me.
But if the things you're sharing are completely taken from the internet or adapted from trends, isn't it a bit exaggerated to say 'my style was stolen'? It's quite impossible for everyone to stay away from everyone's ideas.
I think this issue is bigger than your friendship bond. Taking someone's work and ideas is a serious problem. If you turn a blind eye to this, it will normalize for them. This is not a matter of choice; you have to defend your rights 😳
