“Do You Actually Like It — Or Is It Just Trending?”

I don’t know the official definition of trends.

And honestly?

You probably don’t know either.

But somehow we all still follow them perfectly.

Photo by Pearse O'Halloran on Unsplash

Because if you use social media, trends will enter your life faster than relatives asking your marks after exams.

And if you still don’t understand what trends are…

then either you are living in the Stone Age or you have achieved inner peace beyond human understanding.

Right now baggy jeans are trending. I think.

At this point I am not even sure anymore because trends change every three business days.

Last year that creepy little Labubu doll was everywhere.

People were buying it like happiness was hidden inside its plastic head.

That doll looked like insomnia with eyebrows.

But suddenly the internet decided: “This is cute.”

And millions agreed immediately because apparently independent thinking is currently out of stock.

Even freelancing became a trend.

Every second person became a “digital entrepreneur.”

People were posting: “Escape the Matrix.”

Bro, you are selling a ₹499 course from your bedroom with LED lights behind you. Calm down.

But maybe I should not judge trends too much.

Because I think I also follow some trends.

God knows.

Maybe we all do.

That’s the scary thing about trends.

Sometimes they enter your personality so quietly that you think it was your own choice.

Suddenly everybody wants:

the same shoes

the same clothes

the same phone

the same haircut

the same aesthetic mirror selfie with half the face hidden

Even individuality now comes in limited edition packages.

And trends move so fast now that by the time you finally buy something trendy…

Congratulations.

You are officially late.

Society has already moved on to another obsession.

The modern world changes trends faster than people change their “forever” relationships.

One week everyone drinks cold coffee. Next week matcha becomes a personality trait.

One day minimalism is trending. Next day people are decorating rooms like Pinterest exploded inside them.

And social media influencers?

They survive by convincing people that their completely normal life is revolutionary.

“Morning routine.”

Brother, you brushed your teeth and drank water. Relax.

Sometimes trends feel less like culture…

and more like capitalism wearing fashionable sunglasses.

Because trends are perfect business.

Step 1: Make people insecure. Step 2: Sell confidence back to them. Step 3: Repeat until everyone is emotionally exhausted but aesthetically pleasing.

And honestly, the most confusing part is this:

If something is cool today…

how does the same thing become embarrassing six months later?

Yesterday everyone loved skinny jeans.

Today old photos look like evidence from a difficult time in human history.

So did people actually love those things?

Or did they just love feeling accepted?

That question genuinely stays in my mind.

Because if you truly love something…

why should trends decide when you stop loving it?

If a song becomes “old,” does it suddenly sound bad?

If clothes go out of fashion, does the fabric wake up one morning and lose confidence?

No.

Only society changes opinion.

And humans change themselves to survive socially.

That’s why trends work so well.

People say: “I don’t care what others think.”

Then delete a photo because it only got 14 likes.

The internet says: “Be yourself.”

Then rewards everyone who looks exactly the same.

Maybe trends were never really about fashion, phones, or aesthetics.

Maybe trends are just fear with good marketing.

Fear of being left behind. Fear of looking outdated. Fear of not fitting into society’s current group project.

Because humans don’t just want attention.

They want belonging.

And algorithms understand that better than humans do.

Sometimes I think we are not choosing trends anymore.

Trends are choosing us.

And honestly?

That thought is trending inside my brain right now.