Zeno Social: What trends have caught our eye recently?
Staying on top of the ever-changing social landscape is no small feat, especially during peak season. Luckily, our social team is all over it and has curated a list of trending topics and conversations that caught our eye over the past few weeks. Enjoy...!
Very demure, very mindful
You will have 100% seen the unmistakable ‘very demure, very mindful’ posts flying across socials these past few days as this was kicked off last week by TikToker Jools Lebron, who racked up over 31 million views by leaning into a modest, shy, ‘cutesy’ persona through her lessons in etiquette.
But what does the demure bandwagon even mean? In short, think polar opposite of the unhinged brat girl Summer and instead having your own spin on what it means to be less in-your-face and more well behaved.
Underconsumption core
You’ve heard of gorpcore, barbiecore, blokecore (need I go on?) but this is a whole new topic of conversation - especially on TikTok. Underconsumption Core is less about a specific ‘aesthetic’ and much more about a lifestyle choice being adopted by a younger audience, which is all about consuming less and adopting a sense of thrifty-ness.
This trend is clearly reflective of our ‘cozzie livs’ environment and reminds me of the authenticity-pushing ‘de-influencing’ movement we saw last year. TikTok users are divided on this topic, with some trying ‘no spend challenges’ and others referring to the romanticizing of this trend as insulting.
But on a deeper level…
This super simple content format sees users speaking to a certain topic using either a carousel or video in the following style:
‘If you asked me about [topic]’
‘I’d say [standard answer]’
‘But on a deeper level…’
‘I’d say [deeper answer]
This can range from anything to how they feel about their favourite soft drink to their relationship with a family member. I was personally surprised at how much this has taken off, but it seems users and brands alike are utilising this trend to delve further into a topic that matters to them. Fair enough.
Unfortunately I did not make the Olympic team
Now that the Olympics is over and we don’t know what to do with our lives (😭) can we please talk about how unbelievable this trend was? For anyone living under a rock, this content saw users sharing fail videos of people’s attempts at Olympic sports gone wrong using the same audio and caption. These you’ve-been-framed style videos are hard to beat on the hilarity scale and I’d strongly suggest watching a good few threads of these if you haven’t already.
We know there are always trend-jacking moments attached to huge global events and we are seeing a rise in social content being driven by them, so expect much more to follow!
TikTok tarot readings
‘If you’re seeing this, this message is for you’ - ring any bells? 🔮
If not, perhaps the TikTok tarot readers are yet to grace your FYP with their witchy presence. This horoscope-esk content has risen in popularity since 2020, blowing up more so this year, and shows users with tarot cards unpacking the readings for people watching the video.
With Gen Z being the least religious generation to date it’s unsurprising that young people are continually looking for new ways to tap into different kinds of spirituality. Not to mention, a belief in such destiny is absolutely sure to thrive on TikTok where the algorithm remains the biggest mystery of them all.
