By Emery Williamson

Every day, a new social media trend emerges and dominates our feeds. Whether it be a sound, dance, pose, or a joke, suddenly everybody begins to engage in it. Although often deemed as random, social media trends do not appear out of nowhere. They follow a pattern that blends algorithm, timing, and the basic human desire to feel connected.  

According to Maria Alessandra Golino of the Institute for Internet & the Just Society, “Algorithms in social media platforms can be defined as technical means of sorting posts based on relevancy instead of publish time, to prioritize which content a user sees first, according to the likelihood that they will actually engage with such content.” Social media platforms love patterns. If thousands or millions of people watch a video all the way through, rewatch it, or share it, the algorithm assumes that the content is entertaining and pushes it out to more users. Suddenly, you’re seeing the same joke, dance, or sound on your feed constantly. These can then become a trend in your actual life with your peers. Dorcas Adisa of Sprout Social pictures algorithms as a “virtual matchmaker designed to match users with content that suits their interests.” 

Image credit: Mac Rumors.

According to Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri, Instagram feeds are divided into five sections: Feed, Explore, Stories, Reels, and Search. Each section utilizes the user’s past behavior related to specific content. Based on these behaviors, the app will then form an algorithm that floods the users’ feeds. For these feeds, Instagram prioritizes recency, so posts that were uploaded more recently will appear on users’ feeds before older ones. User activity and interaction history are two similar ways to shape your instagram content. If you interact with a specific photo or video, instagram deems the content as entertaining to the user, in which they will now push more similar content. TikTok also creates its “For You Page” in a similar manner. According to Quick Frame, the app utilizes watch time, interactions, and even location data to build a user’s profile page. 

Social media trends take off because of algorithms. They provide an easy way for users to engage in something more transcendent than themselves, whether it’s a joke, a style, or a shared moment. What is interesting about these trends is that they don’t just spread because of people copying each other; they spread because they give people a quick and creative way to communicate. In a way, these trends can become their own powerful mini-cultures, filled with inside jokes and shared references. 

6 and 7. Just two numbers, right? Wrong. According to Skyler Caruso at People magazine, the meme derives from a song called “Doot Doot 67” by Skrilla. The recent “6-7” trend demonstrates how seemingly random and almost meaningless concepts can gain traction online once people start treating them like an inside joke. At first, it was a simple number combination that was dropped into comment sections, sparking curiosity from users. Next thing you know, that same curiosity is what fueled social media, leading the joke to become a hit. The trend grew into a perfect example of how the internet loves chaos. A random number can be turned into a shared language simply because people decide, together, that it is entertaining. Trends don’t always need a purpose; the mystery is what makes them spread the quickest. Callie Holterman from the New York Times states that “6-7” is impossible to define, and that kids shout “6-7” to “stump adults,” and will “repeat until maturity.” The confusion of the older generations behind this number is what brings a sense of happiness to kids. 

Image credit: Netflix.

Another example of a recently trending topic is Stranger Things, a TV show streamed on Netflix that is widely loved by many throughout the world, and which released its series finale on New Years Eve. Stranger Things blends mystery, nostalgia, and character complexity to create moments that are easily relatable for viewers and fans. Clips then get shared to TikTok, YouTube, or Instagram, where they take over all social media platforms. Once users discover a certain number of clips, they become hooked on the show and start watching it on their own. These algorithms play a crucial role in shaping how people discover information and connect with the world around them. Next time you’re scrolling on your feed, remember, everything you do to a specific post will affect whether or not you see similar content in the future. 

Featured image credit: Kenneth Cheung/via Getty Images.