What is a trend?
Many of these declarations are not meant to be taken seriously, and plenty will not succeed (see: Hot Vax Summer and, less consequentially, The New York Times’s endorsement of the Dirty Shirley). But all arise from a desire to identify some distinct flavor of each summer that can be captured and stored like strawberry preserves.
Callie Holtermann • Why Do We Brand the Summer?
Blueberry-milk nails. Hot rodent boyfriend. Tomato-girl summer. What do these things have in common? Absolutely nothing. They are all utterly meaningless. That and, within the last year, each one has become a micro-trend, a niche and short-lived yet pervasive fad that sweeps the Internet.
Cazzie David • The "Vibe Trends" Are Out of Control
The meme even expanded its seasonal footprint into Christian Girl Autumn and Short King Spring.
Callie Holtermann • Why Do We Brand the Summer?
We’re even branding seasons
as some people say, ‘Trends aren’t that deep.’ Semantic inflation doesn’t just alter definitions — it also changes how we engage with these words in a cultural context. What was once deep, strategic, and long-term has been reduced to shallow, fleeting moments.
Is it time to rebrand trend research? - MediaCat
Trends have become synonymous with TikTok trends
Does this actually have weight? Does this actually “mean” something? Sometimes the answer is yes. Sometimes, it’s just about entertainment for entertainment’s sake. What’s the undercurrent of human truth here.
Are trends fun or actively undermining development of healthy coping. Trends and brain rot?
More significant than what trends represent on their own and in the moment is what they collectively symbolize. Ours is a period of increasing noise. Everything is bleeding into everything around it. All trends, large and small, now suggest a new cultural mood—but only until the next Vaseline-smeared obsession comes along.
Jason Parham Culture • The Age of Everything Culture Is Here
Everything, everywhere all at once