Cycles of Manipulation

   While paying attention to how my environment manipulated me, I noticed that we are often manipulated in cycles. Take, for instance, a study group (if anyone watches Community, manipulation within the study group is very evident). If you were in a group of people quietly studying, you would likely follow suit. Similarly, the energy in a group of excited fans watching a game might be contagious. As we see, we adopt a mob mentality in a group - we tend to follow what others do. This is why trends in music, clothing, art, and so on, exist. Striving for uniqueness is also a trend, though, so as a certain style of music or clothing becomes popular, a new style begins its rise in popularity. Regardless of whether these trends occasionally bring back old trends (like people nostalgically reliving the 80s or 90s), the cycle of popularity continues. In relating this to the study group, we might see that the group's level of focus may shift, because of an individual's desire to do something else. If we acknowledge that such cycles of manipulation exists, what do we do about it?  Are these cycles necessarily bad? Where might happiness fit into the pictures when thinking about these cycles?