It is a phenomenon which has moved out of arts & culture sphere and has been appearing in almost everything- politics included… there is an endless number of people who say that this or that side is “better” — when the opinion they push as their own has been imported, or influenced by the ones who surround that individual ( Take as an example the pro & against Trump issue in the States. A large majority of his critics, especially in the big cities, would not have been so critical about him if their surroundings did not “make it cool” to blast trump- the same applies to his supporters- a lot of them stand behind Trump simply because it's what the others around them are doing)

The worst part of the “If it’s Cool it's my opinion” phenomena is that it’s quite difficult to show people that. I have developed a system in which ( when I end up facing someone who keeps insisting on an opinion I know is not theirs) I ask the other person/s in the conversation “and what do you base your opinion/belief on??” ( or some other version of the same sentence) . It’s interesting to see how those who did not form an opinion on their own, but simply imported it get stopped in their tracks by a question like this. People who have their own opinions are aware of how and why they formed them- and they have no problems explaining things to you while those who “imported” them first spend time going through their memory banks in an attempt to find something that will work. When that fails, they generally try avoiding the answer or ( after a bit of thinking it over) blurt out a generalizing sentence which says nothing….. Then, there is the third option used by those who can not remember why they believe (in) something which is either saying “You couldn't understand that” or offending.

again, the ones who do have an opinion of their own- will not do any of the things cited above but they will give you an explanation.

I honestly don’t know if this can have any lasting effect on those characters and do they start thinking on their own ( or at least begging to comprehend that there the opinion they so fiercely promoted wasn’t theirs to begin with) — But, it does function as a filter for weeding out some characters, as well as it allows anyone who may be following the discussion to see the “import opinion” characters sweat it and get lost when trying to defend or promote something.