Tattoos. Tamagotchi. Tickle Me Elmo.
We love novelty, short-term enthusiasm surrounding the latest fad or trend. Before you know it, we're hooked, either trying to keep up with the Jones or worst, resisting the temptation to be left behind.
Proverbs 22:15 (MSG) #verseOfReflection
15 Young people are prone to foolishness and fads;
the cure comes through tough-minded discipline.
When's the last time you were cajoled to help somebody up their level in Candy Crush by giving them something called a "ticket"? I remember when the game first came out and it was all the rave. Mostly my female friends on "the social network" would talk about the game as if it were the best thing since...(the last game everybody ranted and raved about). Every once in a while I'd notice a handful of dudes who were playing too, not that there's anything wrong with that. I think there was this idea that a guy playing Candy Crush is the equivalent of him having a Pinterest account and using it often (which there have been "male"/more masculine sites similar to Pinterest which now exist).
It amazes me how we jump on the bandwagon of something cool, fun, or whatever seems to be the "in" thing now. I thought feeling and living like that went out in highschool, but sadly it still happens. It's not necessarily bad thing though. Who doesn't want to dance to Gangnam Style? Which was replaced by the (fake) Harlem Shake...to only be lost in time once we dared to learn, "What Does the Fox Say?"
What are some trends and/or fads from your childhood? It can be a little difficult to determine the difference as some fads last upwards of a decade only to fall short of "trend status", whereas some things which become trends truly look more like fads. I did some digging and here are a number of fads and trends that have graced us in the last thirty years or so...
Furby, Gigapet, Slap Wraps, Chia Pets, Reality TV, Snuggie
Jordans, Baggy pants, Skinny Jeans, Bell-bottoms (back again), Hoodies
Wristbands: WWJD, LIVESTRONG, Silly Bandz
Hair: Half-shaved head, Colors in Hair, #teamNatural (women of color)
Songs: Gangnam Style, Harlem Shake (the fake one), What does the Fox Say?
Movies: Twilight, Hunger Games
Books: Harry Potter...50 Shades
iPhone, Droid, #hashtags
Hot Or Not, Instagram, Vine, Snapchat, Bitstrips
Planking, Cinnamon Challenge. Remember Chubby Bunny?
Memes: Cats (LOLcats), Hey Girl, Keep Calm and...Presidential Election/Politics
YOLO, SWAG, Shutter shades, Hater Blockers
FarmVille, Words with Friends, Candy Crush
Black Friday, Cyber Monday...Cyber Week!?
That last one threw me for a loop. I had never heard of cyber week til a few days ago. As I'm sure you'll agree, many of these are here to stay: Cyber Anything, Jordans, Popular Songs that make us want to dance and/or ask silly questions. Here's something to think on. How much time have you put towards these? Did you ever wonder where your time goes or how you could "find time" to do what you want? In many cases it isn't that we don't have the time, it's that we waste it. Believe me, there's nothing wrong with wasting time so long as you aren't wanting for more of it. If you had to make an account for how you spend your time and what you do with your talent and efforts, would you be satisfied with how the totals are tallying up in your life right now?
I admit, although many of these are silly and just another ploy to keep a finger on what teens/young adults are foolish enough to do/participate in, they also give us a way to indirectly stay connected with those around us. We're provided with opportunities to laugh, interact, and "get to know" one another. Especially for those of us who are "friends" with people who aren't friends in real life; chances to see more of a person abound.
Don't you think it's obvious why they now call what everyone is talking about "trending"? There used to be another word for that...
If you don't recognize some of the fads/trends listed earlier you should Google them. That word is gonna be around for a minute; til something better comes along.
And sorry to my friend of a long time who really wanted me to play Words with Friends. I was still on a limited data connection at the time. These days, if you aren't always connected, you're missing out on something.
Sumthn2Ponder (s2p):
- How much of my time/life do I spend keeping up on trends?
- What's the latest fad I'm into?
Links for Consideration(L4C):
