A brief overview of what is currently trending on on X in news, culture, and/or trending hashtags and formats.
📚 Harvard: the university is back in the spotlight following President Claudine Gay's resignation in light of plagiarism claims & backlash from her congressional testimony on antisemitism. Comments on X are inflammatory with opinions varying.
👀 Kimmel: Jimmy Kimmel is trending online after Aaron Rodgers suggests he was among those named on the Jeffrey Epstein list. Kimmel's direct response has people adding their two cents to the claims and/or taking sides.
🧙♂️ J.R.R. Tolkien: Today marks the 132nd birthday of writer J.R.R. Tolkien known for his high fantasy works of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Fans are sharing his quotes to honor his memory.
A deeper dive into a subject that is impacting culture on a macro level, beyond just the social space.
📝 2024 Manifestations & Money 💰
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What it is: Social media is teeming with individuals, creators, & brands alike talking about the new year. With many optimistic about what's ahead, TikTok has seen the "My 2024 Bucket List" filter go viral featuring text "Do whatever it says in/for 2024." Options users are seeing include "Earn lots of money," "Travel to Japan," and "Live a happy life" to name a few. Speaking of money, it's very much on Gen Z's mind (the oldest of whom turned 26 this past year) which comes as no surprise as they are just getting started with or are in the early phases of their careers. Enter the opposite of Quiet Luxury for 2024: Loud Budgeting, another financial TikTok trend that claims to be more chic, stylish, & a flex. The takeaway is that people want to make 2024 their year of happiness, health, wealth, & prosperity.
What brands can learn: There's an opportunity to play on new year's goals as it's top-of-mind for many. Whether you want to riff on TikTok's bucket list filter or play into the popular in/out trend dominating Instagram, there is sure to be a way to insert yourselves into these future looking conversations. As for the buzz around financial stability, talks of "loud budgeting" & money manifestation could issue in the prominence of banks & fintech on social platforms (see Intuit's comment on example #3). While TikTok may be a playground to spend money, it's also a place to educate curious young adults on how they can hack the expensive world we live in. Our prediction? #FinTok will continue to grow with input coming from both the finfluencer & average individual.
Examples: 1, 2, 3
Must-click links that crossed our feeds today
🚢 The Royal Caribbean's 9-month cruise has become TikTok's latest "reality show," turning passengers into unwitting cast members.
💦 Stanley Cups are OUT while Owala bottles are IN. Social media's newest sensation is FreeSip.
👶 Ms Rachel & CoComelon are doing just fine... September 2021 to 2023 shows YouTube’s viewership among 2 to 11-year-olds rose 4% which means Netflix is losing ground.
📔 For Gen Z, libraries are the new place to vibe & hang out as they read print books over digital.
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