Throughout the year of 2024, there have been many trends on social media, especially concerning fashion. These fashion trends have helped many find their own style and character, and while this can be seen as a good thing, the consequences and results that come out of it have a much bigger impact. The effect of the hundreds of micro trends over the years, and especially 2024, has grown significantly, yet it is still lightly skimmed upon.

Trash Talk

Unlike seasons or actual trends, micro trends are significantly shorter, commonly only lasting a month at most at a time. These trends arise from niche groups that eventually become trending communities which everyone admires until another takes its place. Throughout 2024, there have been a handful of such trends regarding fashion, shows, or even celebrity crushes.

This year has been focused on self-identity and growth, and micro trends both benefit and affect that. With the explosion of many new communities coming onto mainstream media, embracing these niche aesthetics has become more common. A main factor that contributes to the idea of micro trends is fashion. People can find themselves inspired to follow a certain aesthetic and content in their “new” self. Self-expression is a big deal among modern society, and seeing all of these new or arising communities for people to explore is truly an experience.

“I think people could find themselves following micro trends to try and make something big out of it,” Farima Tavana (9) said. “I do think it is possible for others to find themselves in small trends that could become a bit bigger later in time.”

The big problem with these micro trends is that they actually increase rates of consumerism and materialism. Both of those aspects ultimately cause worldwide problems today such as pollution, overproduction (which leads to fast fashion), and massive loads of waste. 

Encouraging this type of behavior may only lead to more problems, and many claim that it is not only affecting the world, but even ourselves in ways we didn’t think of before.

“Micro trends can be overwhelming because they change so quickly,” Rachel Zou (9) said. “It’s like there’s no time to truly embrace or enjoy something before it becomes ‘out of style.’ This constant shift can be exhausting to keep up with.”

Digital Overload

According to Falmouth Univeristy, “these trends prey on our insecurities about the way that we look and feel.” These trends also tend to cycle with a new twist, like being a “clean girl” or an “almond girl,” or in other words, being the same person with a different label to be different from others.

“I personally like micro trends, but I think people are starting to overuse it too much, and it’s getting hard to look at,” Sidnay Banh (9) said.

These increased rates of peer pressure and consumerism all amount to a build-up of anxiety in an individual’s mental health. Constantly trying to keep up with trends takes much effort, and it does not help when someone’s favorite influencer is advertising a new hit item that is definitely worth “splurging” for.

This sense of “comparison culture” is, of course, something that we cannot avoid, but it is something that should not be normalized and encouraged. As mentioned earlier, this constant need for validation is increasing rapidly, and micro trends are contributing to it.

“Micro trends are weird to me because I think every trend should be something that lasts and has a mark on our generation as memories other than constant small things,” Tavana said.

In other words, these micro trends are still a burning topic across all platforms of media, but many argue for the opposite side. Of course, it is hard to avoid these trends and it’s impossible to not fall for the occasional trendy item, but it is even harder to not fall into the world of consumerism.