Spanish
Santo Domingo.- The trends —whether in fashion, social media, music, or lifestyle— are cultural phenomena that many people adopt, share, and reinvent. But what motivates people to follow them?
Trends have become a dominant form of social and cultural interaction in the digital age. Through them, people share ideas, styles, opinions, and behaviors that multiply rapidly thanks to social networks and algorithms that prioritize what is popular.Following a trend doesn't just mean imitating what others do, but also participating in a collective conversation that gives a sense of belonging and visibility within an increasingly connected community.
Beyond the superficial, trends reflect deep changes in society: what worries, motivates, or entertains people at a given moment. From fashion and language to the way we get information or consume content, trends function as cultural thermometers that reveal shared aspirations, tensions, and values. In this context, understanding trends is key to understanding how narratives are constructed, identities, and behaviors in the contemporary world.Here we share three main reasons why people follow trends on social media:
1. Sense of social belonging
Humans are social beings. Following what is popular allows you to feel connected to a group and share common experiences with friends, colleagues, or online communities. Geoffrey L. Cohen, Ph.D. and academic at Stanford University, has focused his research on the psychological processes that shape people's sense of belonging and the threats it faces in different areas such as school, work, and healthcare systems. His work analyzes how the perception of acceptance or exclusion decisively influences human behavior and individual and collective performance. Cohen argues that “the sense of belonging is not just a consequence of success, but a condition for achieving it”, highlighting that this need cuts across practically all spaces where human beings interact: from the home and educational environment, to politics, health, negotiations, and community policing. According to the researcher, the concern of being part of a larger group, being accepted, and feeling that one has something valuable to contribute, motivates a large part of our daily thoughts, emotions, and actions.In that sense, in an interview for "Speaking of Psychology", the flagship podcast of the American Psychological Association indicated that the need for belonging is more acute, of course, in the early years of life. "The importance of early bonds has been widely investigated by 20th-century pioneers, such as John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth. Furthermore, it is important throughout life, but especially during certain stages. I would say that preadolescence and adolescence are key stages in which we try to determine our place in the world," she pointed out.
2. Desire for identity and expression
Trends offer ways to express oneself. What we use, listen to, or share can communicate who we are or how we want to be perceived —for example, a visual aesthetic, a phrase, or a personal style.
The desire for identity and expression on social media is a fundamental need, especially for Generation Z, where platforms act as stages to build and project personality. Experts point out that this allows exploring roles, but carries the risk of constant comparison, dependence on validation through likes and, often, a gap between real and idealized identity, impacting mental health. In this sense, the self-discrepancy theory, developed by E. Tory Higgins, explains that the difference between the "actual self" (who we are), the "ideal self" (who we want to be) and the "ought self" (who we should be) generates emotional distress. On social media, this gap is amplified, generating anxiety, low self-esteem, and depression due to constant comparisons and the projection of an idealized image.3. Influence of Networks and Algorithms
Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube show content that "attracts" more attention. The algorithm learns what we like and shows us trends, which makes more people see and participate in them. Many in the current generation develop "like" anxiety, an emotional and behavioral dependence driven by the search for social validation and dopamine, turning social media into a fragile source of self-esteem. It manifests with constant checking, insomnia, stress, and low self-esteem if posts do not meet certain expectations, mostly affecting adolescents. A study published on June 18, 2025, in the JAMA journal, conducted by Cornell Medicine University in the United States, analyzed the behavior of 4,300 students aged 8 to 12 for four years. The research examined how constant exposure to and interaction with digital environments influence behavioral patterns and emotional processes during key stages of child development. Regarding this, neuropsychologist Lucía Crivelli (MN 33,849) explains that brain mechanisms are intensely activated when interacting with social networks. Receiving notifications, "likes" or positive reactions stimulates the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter closely linked to pleasure and the brain's reward systems. This process reinforces the behavior of seeking social approval, which can generate a constant need for validation and increase the time spent on digital platforms.The most popular trends of 2025 and 2026
✨ Viral and Cultural Trends on Social Media
- “Becoming Chinese” / Chinamaxxing – Viral on TikTok: adopting lifestyles, language, or aesthetics associated with China as a meme or global cultural expression.
- “2026 is the new 2016” – Nostalgia for 2016: fashion, photos, graphics, and aesthetics from that year revived on social platforms.
- Italian Brainrot – Surreal memes with absurd aesthetics and viral on TikTok and other platforms.
