Stanley cups. Sambas. Brat. Cottage core. Mermaid core. Looksmaxxing. Smellmaxxing.
In your head, list all the trends you can think of that you have seen recently online, at school or among your friends.
Do you feel pressure to keep up with new trends? How many have you tried? Do you ever feel exhausted by the onslaught of all you’re supposed to eat, watch, listen to, buy or be?
Are there just too many trends to keep up with these days?
In “Too Many Trends!,” some teenagers say yes. The article, written by Callie Holtermann, explores the current fast-moving and seemingly endless trend cycle, and why some Gen Z-ers say they find it exhausting:
For the past few years, opening up social media has felt like standing in front of a fire hose of fashion and internet fads and cranking open the nozzle, full blast.
New “it” water bottles are anointed almost quarterly. Influencers urge their viewers to style themselves as coastal grandmothers, ballet dancers, indie sleazers and coquettes — looks that have little in common besides the consumption they require. Specious fads like the “mob wife aesthetic,” recognized by publications including this one, prompted The New Yorker’s humor column to predict what might come next: How about “Supreme Court casual” or “spotted-lanternfly goth”?
To keep up would leave most people broke, not to mention disoriented. And while a majority of these crazes are labeled “Gen Z trends,” members of that generation may be the ones most fatigued by the churn.
It’s not that they don’t get what’s going on: Today’s young adults can comfortably discuss the way that social media and fast fashion keep many members of their generation buying, sharing and discarding items. They are aware, sometimes painfully, that their insecurities are being harnessed for someone else’s bottom line. But awareness does not equal liberation. Understanding the mechanisms at play does not always mean they can escape them — although many are trying.
Neena Atkins, 16, a high school junior in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., said she felt “constantly bombarded” by product recommendations. Cheetah print was hot less than two months ago, she said, “and now when I go on TikTok, I see people saying, like, cheetah print is getting so old.”
Lina, 15, a high school freshman near Fort Wayne, Ind., watched classmates buy $35 Stanley tumblers only to covet another brand of pastel water bottles shortly thereafter. “It’s wasteful,” she said. “You’re just wasting resources, you’re wasting money.”
James Oakley, 19, a college student in Oregon, thinks his age group has reached saturation: “The prevalence and pure amount of microtrends has made it impossible to understand or participate.”
Students, read the entire article and watch the videos. Then tell us:
What’s your reaction to this article? Do you relate to these young people who say they feel overwhelmed by an onslaught of new trends? If so, which quotation especially resonated with you?
How often do you participate in trends? If you’re someone who keeps up with the latest and greatest, why do you do it? Is it for fun, to fit in, to find out what you like or something else? Tell us about a trend you tried recently and what that was like. If you don’t follow trends, why not?
Is trying to keep up with trends a source of stress in your life? In one video, a young adult said that today’s rapid trend cycle has affected his “sense of self” and led to a “lack of self-confidence.” How do you think the cycle might be affecting you, regardless of whether you participate in it?
The article notes that some teenagers feel stuck in this cycle while others are trying to move beyond it by swearing off fast fashion or deleting their social media accounts. Do you fit into either group? If you’re trying to consume less, what tips do you have for others who feel overwhelmed?
Do you think trends will continue at their current pace or slow down? Or do you think your generation will simply grow out of chasing fads as the next generation begins experimenting with them?
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.
