Fast changing trends in social media

Mae Bullington Staff Writer

Trends come and go, but why? Trends pop up from TikTok and Instagram. There is one common denominator, and that is social media. Trends are associated with social media because it is on a constant rise. With billions of people having some social media, trends are made. Trend types range from dances, clothes, and even personalities. They usually become popular quickly but typically last only a short time.

One example of a trend is BeReal. BeReal is an app that goes off once a day at a random time. Users of the app show their friends what they’re doing through taking a picture from their front and back camera at the same time. BeReal is still favored by over 53 million people around the globe because it’s about “being real.” It came out in 2020 and started becoming popular in early 2022.

The app focuses on authenticity; it’s unfiltered and unedited, and it gives stats about your BeReal. You can see how late someone’s BeReal was and how many retakes they had. The app has widespread appeal because the creators don’t use ads to promote it; the employees rely on social media like TikTok and Instagram to boost their apps. In the beginning, there was talk about BeReal not lasting long, but the demand is still high.

A trend that faded away was VSCO. VSCO started as a way to edit your photos but transformed into another social media app. People started posting pic- tures that matched a specific aesthetic. Users had the option to repost and favorite their friends’ images. It became so well-liked because there wasn’t a way to comment less use of comments to spread negativity and support others.

VSCO became a stereotype not long after it started becoming popular, VSCO girls were defined by their shared interests, brands, and sayings. Some common interests included hydro flasks, scrunchies, and puka shell necklaces. Although the app was intended to be positive, people viewed the stereotype as unfavorable.

The app VSCO came out in 2011 but started gaining popularity in 2019. During the 2019 period, VSCO had 40 million monthly users. 60 percent of these users were teenagers. Being a VSCO girl lost its desirability when Covid-19 started. People were out less, so they weren’t as active on VSCO. Other trends began rolling in.

While VSCO and BeReal were both well-liked trends, they were very different. Through the years, general interests have changed. In 2022 the trend is to “be real,” but in 2019, everyone wanted their pictures to fit a specific aesthetic.

VSCO and BeReal are very similar; they are both apps that wanted to change the way people use the media. BeReal wants things to be more authentic without the filters and edits. VSCO wanted things to be more positive, including the editing BeReal is trying to avoid.

Maggie Hyland (9)

“I would say my favorite trend was probably the VSCO girl stage. I got a lot of cute clothes out of it and it was kind of simple and normal.”

Emilio Eraydin (10)

“My favorite trend in the media has to be the ‘You Got Krissed.’ That’s been my absolute favorite. It honestly affected me, actually, because it made me really happy to see my queen Kris Jenner up and out there. So that’s my favorite trend in the media.”

Eleanor Rand Lines (11)

“I like the social media trend BeReal because it’s different from all the other social media. You don’t have to worry. It’s just once a day, so you just look at it once, and then you’re done. You can’t get caught up in what other people are doing. It’s a different type of social media, which I like.”

Joshua Beyene (12)

“My favorite trend is the TikTok dance, I Just Wanna Rock, and that’s my favorite trend because it got me and my friend, Grant, very close. We started dancing, a personal connection was built, it bonded and strengthened our relationship.”

Given or earned: Is social status overcoming talent?

Lily Konigsmark Staff Writer

It’s no secret that celebrities serve as role models for the average person and can be a major influence on everything people do in daily life. Some people’s decisions are influenced by celebrities, whether they like it or not, by just consuming entertainment in all of its forms. It is important to have entertainment in order to live a fulfilling life, otherwise it would dully consist of working, eating, sleeping, and repeating.

A huge part of entertainment is movies. Many of the role models that people call celebrities are actors and actresses in some fan favorite films. Among the best-selling movies at the box office like

Star Wars, Black Panther, Avatar, and Avengers: Endgame, there are favorite actors. However, actors eventually age out of particular roles, which means that one’s acting career will eventually come to an end.

With the end of a chapter to one actor’s career comes the beginning of someone else’s. This continually creates new opportunities for actors in the business to become loved like the former actors in popular roles.

New child actors start in commercials and move onto being side characters before acquiring main roles and then onto the movies with the big shots.

Oftentimes, instead of the actors working their way up from the bottom, no-experience celebrities are taking roles of starting actors and current actors. The general group of “celebrities” is a broad title of all the famous people on the internet and entertainment industry.

There are many types of celebrities that branch off from the word celebs. Influencers are one of the main branches that separates the social media world of celebrities from the Hollywood star celebrities. Influencers usually stick to sponsorships with companies and entertain on the internet. They rule the social media world and truly control what regular people buy and do. They are popular and the more they post and advertise items, the more popular they become.

Actors are the stars on the big screens and in some of the favorite movies and TV shows. They can also do sponsorships and influence the public. It is seen as normal for a well-known actor to be put into an influencer type role. It is not normal though to see a non-actor to be put into an actor’s role in their daily life.

The beloved singer, Harry Styles, has started his acting career for the past few years. It was kind of odd for him to be in a movie for the first time after leaving the boy band, One Direction. Everyone saw him as the young boy who sang about pretty girls and having fun with friends. The most important part is that everyone saw him.

When he starred in a movie, he was the face of the movie. When someone brought up the movie, it was, ¨Oh the one Harry Styles is in?¨ This was a strategic move from the entertainment industry to have more publicity for their movie. Don’t Worry Darling is the best example of a celebrity with little to no connection to acting taking a lead role. Harry Styles was the face of the movie, he was the publicity of the movie, he was the main person bringing in the money. There is much controversy with his role in the movie.

The discussion starts with when these worlds collide. Influencers, with no acting background are being brought into movies with no experience and take the spotlight. They take the fame from people who have dedicated their lives to acting and rob potential new actors’ roles because of their popularity among the world. The companies do not care for finding new artists and breaking through with an amazing actor because they only have two things in mind. Those two things are money and publicity for themselves. The more publicity means the more money.

Florence Pugh, the true lead of the movie and a seasoned actor, gets much less press than Styles, even though she has the most screen time and an illustrious career. The debate of whether Styles had earned the role or was handed the role due to his status in the social world is on the rise. Directors and leaders of the production of the movie could not care less though because people will still come to watch the movie and bring in more money.

Money is prioritized above anything; it is the main reason to produce a movie along with getting actors more presence and to become a familiar face in the industry. The movies create credibility for the individuals, yet the main motive comes down to how one can make the most money and get higher in the acting industry.