First there was MySpace. Then there was Facebook. Now it is Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr. Trends can range from social media to sayings such as “YOLO” to fashion trends like jeggings and Polo shirts. We all know of some trends, and may have even participated in them, but where do they start and why do they catch on?
Whenever a trend comes about, it seems that the whole world is joined in the same hype.
Many fads come in quickly and without warning, such as Tebowing and planking. The popularity is usually high with these trends, but is very rarely missed when the fad is gone.
So we know what a trend is, but where does it start? These hypes are usually started by trendsetters. Trendsetters are those who the common folk look up to to decide what is going to be “cool.”
“The people that kids look up to in the media, like celebrities, determine what is going to be in, and others quickly do the same to fit in,” junior Hayden Davis said.
Many people flock from one thing to the next, but why? According to junior Alex McLaurin, people always want more than what we have.
“We always want the newest thing,” McLaurin said. “We do not like what we have, or we enjoy it for a little bit, but we always want to have more and better [things].”
Others feel that trends change based on peoples interests in different things.
“I went from Facebook to Tumblr for the different and new content,” freshman Val Moreno said.
Experts suggest that trends come from a behavior known as the Herding Effect. The Herding Effect describes how individuals can act together without planned direction. This effect comes from human’s need to feel accepted.
“It’s a good way for people to feel more comfortable with each other knowing they have something in common,” junior Josh Carver said.
Another behavioral attitude that can have an impact on the way people act is the Bandwagon Effect. This effect states that when more people start to like something, then the probability of others liking that thing increases because humans have a tendency to conform to their peers.
The Bandwagon Effect is illustrated by the popularity of the iPhone. Apple had 38.6 million iPhone sales in 2011, and over $90 million sales in just the first two quarters alone. Once a large number of people had iPhones, others jumped on the bandwagon and were in line to get the newest version.
Trends come and go with the creation of new things, and people will always be there to try it out. The next big thing may last two days or two years, but will always be taken over by something else.
–By Tyler White