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In the digital era, trends swiftly emerge and dissipate from every corner of the internet in the blink of an eye. While it’s virtually impossible to keep track of all the trends that grace our screens, a few leave a lasting impact. The epicenter of this phenomenon? TikTok — a platform that has risen to prominence with tailor-made content that caters to individual interests.
“We live in a world that is so siloed and so catered to our own preferences that I think we need larger shared moments that transcend our bubbles. And TikTok seems to be the best place to offer those right now,” said Chris Snider, an associate professor of social media strategy at Drake University. “Even if you’re not on TikTok, someone is likely going to show you these trends, so they can grow really large. And we all feel like we are a part of something, whether we jump in and try it or we just know about it.”
Drawing insights from Google’s top trending searches, these are what captivated netizens in 2023.
Have you ever wondered if your soulmate or best friend arrived by destiny? The moon phase trend analyzes the lunar position on the day you were born and compares it to your partner’s to see how well they fit together. If your moons are a perfect fit, it’s meant to be!
2023 introduced us to all the wonders of artificial intelligence. The AI 90s yearbook trend transported users back in time when dial-up internet and cassette tapes reigned supreme. See how you’d look as a jock, cheerleader or even a nerd.
To commemorate Grimace’s 52nd birthday, McDonald’s unveiled a delectable berry-flavored milkshake in his honor. However, the Grimace shake trend took the party to a whole new level with users recording themselves wishing Grimace a happy birthday — only to later end up in unusual positions in strange locations.
If you’ve ever been in a time crunch and didn’t feel like cooking, you’ve probably had girl dinner before. The basic gist of this quick-fix meal is essentially a medley of snacks, a trend popularized by many young women.
If you’ve ever played a video game, you might have observed characters in the background that exist without player control; these are known as non-player characters. The concept of NPCs spilled into the real world, where individuals mimic video game characters. They act in a scripted, unoriginal manner, devoid of independent thought. People pay them to repeat a set of predetermined one-liners whenever they receive an emoji or coin – TikTok’s form of currency that can be cashed out into real dollars.
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