One of the most fascinating aspects of society is the following of trends. Although participating in trends can be a fun way to engage in community and pop culture, they also have the potential to be both immediately and institutionally harmful, especially when exacerbated by social media and other forms of peer pressure.
A prime example of a harmful trend is the Tide Pod Challenge of the late 2010s. According to Time, the American Association of Poison Control Centers reported 39 cases of teenagers intentionally ingesting the detergent capsules within the first fifteen days of 2018. Although the inexplicable stupidity of the trend still creates uncertainty as to why people participated, factors of peer pressure and a desire to fit in doubtlessly contributed to its popularity. The Tide Pod Challenge is an example of the immediate dangers that can arise from following trends but doesn’t begin to skim the surface of how deep the harm can go.
Although the Tide Pod Challenge certainly rests within the spirit of popular culture, trends surrounding the artistic element of pop culture are in an entirely different ballpark. In those cases, the dangers of following trends are harder to identify because they are concealed by positive aspects. For example, the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon of 2023 is a trend believed to save the movie theater industry.
The Guardian reported the two films brought over $500 million to the box office combined, a necessary uptick in cinema attendance after pandemic-related closures. The simultaneous release date of the two movies contributed to a variety of trends, from wearing all pink at the theater to becoming one of many people who managed to sit through both movies back-to-back.
Despite elements of community and participation in the creation of collective memory, media-centric trends are also a breeding ground for a lack of individuality and participation for participation’s sake. Frequently, a trend becomes so widespread and popular that people would rather resign to partaking in it than think critically about whether or not it aligns with their personal tastes or interests. This blind acceptance is the root cause of many institutionalized trends, which can be better understood as a form of implicit bias.
The American Psychology Association defines an implicit bias as a “negative attitude, of which one is not consciously aware, against a specific social group.” In other words, implicit bias is a feeling toward a certain group of people that arose out of the influence of deep-rooted societal prejudices. Although there are many nuances to this connection, it is undeniably true that witnessing the behavior of others influences the way people are treated, which could be considered a type of trend following. This phenomenon is yet another example of how following blindly can be harmful to specific demographics and society as a whole.
An interview with psychologist Anthony Greenwald on PBS affirms that implicit bias affects “even people with the best intentions” but is nevertheless incredibly harmful and results directly in discrimination and microaggressions. These biases are a result of not questioning oneself and looking critically at personal behaviors, similar to the way people tend to accept trends simply because it's easier to go along with the mainstream. In order for individualism and curiosity to thrive in society, trends don’t need to disappear completely. They only need to be looked at through a critical lens and questioned before they are blindly accepted.
Sophia Rooksberry is a junior studying journalism. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Sophia know by tweeting her @sophiarooks_.
