By: Andres Luis Makilan, Staff Writer
Microtrends, as much as we may not like to admit it, seem to be following us everywhere. These brief yet significant cultural shifts are currently in works of reshaping consumer behavior and social media as a whole, now prompting brands and even politicians to adapt and change their marketing behavior , suiting the ever changing needs of the public eye.
Whether it be about people’s style of clothing, an up-and-coming newly released popular game, or whatever the newest TikTok challenge is, microtrends seem to have an globally unshakeable grip on the public, having greatly affected the younger generation who it has been catered for, and having an impact within their social media lives.
While asking Mills Students for their thoughts on microtrends, many shared the same opinion, saying that they’re “chill” and that they “are not that big of a thing” because they only stay around for a short period of time. A junior here at Mills, Katie Chun (11), commented “I think [microtrends] don’t affect social media, but they are social media in a kind of way.” She later added that for her, microtrends just reflect what people are interested in during that period of time.
Now, because microtrends have grown in popularity, it’s not only students who are affected by them, but also our voters, both young and old. Don Burdette, a history and psychology teacher at Mills, vocalized that “Microtrends represent a new way to take the passions of people… associated with a candidate or an issue… to convince people to act politically.” He also remarks that any politician not willing to use microtrends to their advantage is willingly putting themselves at a disadvantage.
When asked about the ethics of politicians who use microtrends to their advantage, Burdette believes that there are two sides to it; a beautiful side and an ugly side. Elaborating on his answer, Burdette adds “You’re trying to connect with people … connect with younger generations … But there’s a dark side … cynically preying on people and taking advantage of their proclivities.” He gave an example of that ‘dark side’, citing Donald Trump and his campaign runners faking endorsements from influencers in hopes that people who pay attention to these influencers would be convinced to vote for him.
Burdette mentions how even though microtrends are very influential in today’s landscape, they do not substitute for the more significant things people need from relationships. “But I know for some people, microtrends can be a big part of their lives, and I think like anything like that, we need to learn how to add it to our lives responsibly and not let it substitute for like, more important interactions.”
It seems that microtrends are going to stay relevant, continuing to grow, yet it is important to understand both of its sides, the pretty and the ugly of it all.
