Four social media trends that need to die… quickly

Whether you love social media, loathe it, or both, it’s here to stay. Sometimes its reputation takes a battering (see point one, below) but we still can’t get enough of it. Plus, it remains an incredible way to communicate with people.

However, I think we can all agree that the social online space would be a far more pleasant place if the following trends/memes just disappeared.

Here’s Podium’s list of the very worst social media trends. Please make them stop now ok thx bye.

1. Facebook quizzes

‘Quizzes’ that require you to given permission to an external app are believed to be at the heart of the recent Facebook/Cambridge Analytica scandal. They have effectively duped people into giving away reams of marketable, politically influential data about themselves. For free.

And what do these quizzes usually reveal? What film star would play you in a movie. Which Disney princess you would be. What breed of dog you should get. It’s all complete rubbish. Stop doing it, for your own good, and for the good of the world generally.

This one’s a spoof from the always-excellent Daily Mash – but you get the idea.

2. Challenge videos

Ever since MTV show Jackass hit our TV screens in the 90s, there has been a sub-culture of people, usually teenagers, usually male, who film themselves doing potentially dangerous stuff for attention.

Well, now everyone has a hi-def camera in their hands and the means with which to broadcast their antics, meaning girls can get involved too! Woo! Though it barely seems credible, the challenges are becoming even more stupid than Jackass ever managed.

The general theme is using household objects to cause yourself potentially irreversible harm for the amusement of strangers on the internet. Recent challenges include the potentially deadly Tide Pod challenge – chewing a massively poisonous dishwasher tablet – and the Kylie Jenner Lip Plump Challenge.

The latest ‘trend’, (and I’m going to file this under ‘sentences I never thought I’d write’) is the condom snorting challenge, in which teenagers film themselves snorting a condom through their nose until it comes out their mouth. Yeah.

It’s certainly true that society has created an environment in which many teenagers only feel self-worth if they are receiving recognition on social media, which is leading to some taking extreme measures to achieve that recognition. For now, it’ll suffice to say please stop hurting yourselves to entertain people you’ve never met.

3. Dog filter

If you’ve been on social media at any point in the last three years, you’ll have seen someone posing with a dog filter. Just in case you haven’t, it’s the result of using a SnapChat filter, which superimposes canine features over people’s selfies. Like this:

Whoever created the dog filter was really clever, because, as well as pasting canine ears and nose over your face, it also offers users a very flattering filter. Tanned and smoother skin, bigger eyes, etc. The novelty of dog ears would have disappeared a long time ago if it wasn’t for the fact that it makes people look about 100% more attractive, too.

Yet somehow they still look like idiots (above).

4. Lists of names

Picture the scene. You’re presented with a random list of names that mean NOTHING, and on that list is the name of someone you know. Do you call them to tell them you’ve just seen their name written down and how hilarious that is? No. They’d think you were a moron.

Yet this happens day-in, day-out as part of the meme that just won’t die. This crap:

These girls will get pregnant this year! These boys can’t handle their drink! These people are bad influences! These people are going to have a great summer!

They‘re not. It’s a list of common names stuck on a graphic as part of an exercise to identify the biggest cretins on Facebook.

Please, please make it stop.

And the rest…

Honourable mentions to: chain messages; they told this (usually) ill child that they couldn’t get 1,000 likes; Candy Crush invites; Keep Calm memes; people saying YOLO; people punctuating with LOL.

Social media management

If you want your company’s social media done properly, contact Podium.

We’d love a chat about how we can help get your brand’s messages – and personality – across to your customers, in an acceptable way.

Call 0191 233 6397 or drop us an email [email protected].

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