Take five...
Kate Holman and Imani Cottrell update us on five social media trends
TikTok has allowed any of us to become social media famous, with the app showcasing new talent surfacing from viral trends that anyone can participate in. One of the most popular trends is the #WipeItDown challenge, which shows users as their normal selves in a mirror before wiping the mirror down to reveal a surprising alternative image. Stars such as Jason Derulo and Will Smith have had fun with the trend. The videos are set to the song Wipe It Down by BMW Kenny and Theelboy.
enough content to help us all survive the socially distanced months. The one currently doing the rounds is the #2020Challenge. Started by Reese Witherspoon, the meme shows the months of the year so far represented by different characters. Witherspoon pulls a range of hilarious facial expressions that become increasingly dramatic as the year goes on. Since Witherspoon posted the meme on Instagram, influencers, celebrities and even brands have recreated the #2020Challenge to show
Depop dramas
Instagram @depopdrama
#2020Challenge Social media is the place to go if you want to find a great meme to make light of a difficult situation. And the pandemic has provided more than
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Instagram @hulu
Who could have known there would be so much drama on social shopping app Depop? The weird and wonderful world of Depop has been catapulted to the mainstream after an app user set up an Instagram account that showcases the best of #DepopDrama. From outlandish excuses as to why an order was not shipped (“I fell off the edge of a swimming pool and got concussion”), to someone accidentally paying £12,000 instead of £12 for a second-hand top, the comments never fail to shock and amuse.
their own versions of 2020, from Kerry Washington to Netflix. Our favourites are the depictions of the ever-shocking Killing Eve and the emotional rollercoaster Normal People.
Bread heads When the UK went into lockdown in March, the nation saw a bigger rise in amateur baking than when a new series of Bake Off hits our screens. With self-raising flour like gold dust, people found solace in their Instagrammable sourdough creations. Soon, everyone wanted a slice, and no social media platform was free from the hourly updates of Instagrammers “feeding” their starters.
Once the reality of spending days, even weeks, creating one small loaf set in, people turned their attention to banana bread. Less work than the demanding sourdough, but with more failed attempts than successes, the banana bread phase was short-lived. The latest bread trend spreading across the social platforms is cloud bread. Soaring in popularity due to its fluffy, colourful appearance and skimpy recipe (a mere three ingredients), #CloudBread has accumulated 2.5 billion views on TikTok and nearly 36,000 posts on Instagram. All you need is egg whites, sugar and cornflour – mixed in with some food colouring to create your own rainbow creations.
Instagram @happytummy_702
TikTok screen wipes
Fitness freaks Since lockdown, gyms may be empty but that hasn’t stopped people from turning to social media to “feel the burn” with home workouts. Workout queen Chloe Ting has more than 2.7 million followers on Instagram and 14 million subscribers on YouTube. She has been spearheading some major fitness transformations, uniting people with the hashtag #ChloeTingChallenge. The hashtag involves a daily 20-minute workout to sculpt a toned and athletic physique. Ting is not the only one getting people moving: fitness guru Kayla Itsines is the personal trainer behind the popular #BBG, which stands for the Bikini Body Guide, and has garnered a legion of fans who credit the workout regime with helping them to stay fit and healthy. n
