7 Trendy Things That Taught Us Something in 2014
The year 2014 came and went in a jiffy, and along with it, of course, came some pop culture trends that we will always remember. Remember in 2009 when every time you heard a cough, immediately following you heard a joke about Swine flu? Each year has its own inside jokes. And I think in some ways, each of these trends can signify a lesson we learned that year. So this is for the little bit of nostalgia you might have for 2014 and the lessons it taught you.
1. "Let it Go"
The lyrics to everyone and their sister’s favorite Disney movie of the 21st century, not only sparked an infinite series of YouTube covers, but also taught the world a little lesson about the strength and skill of moving on. The lyrics that we all got stuck in our heads all too many times reminded us that we control our own happiness, and it’s okay to forget the haters sometimes, just do you, and let it go.
2. Bae
The term that we all hated to love and loved to hate, the term that we all might have gagged at a little bit when we saw it Tweeted or in an Instagram caption, and the term that no one actually knows exactly how to define. But most importantly for the purposes of this blog, the term that reminded us all that everyone is a special individual, and one man’s trash might be another man’s bae.
3. Yik Yak
The app that dominated campuses in its anonymity, welcomed a ridiculous amount of desperate people, and everyone secretly wished to see themselves mentioned on (you know you always pretended in your head that yak about the hot girl in yoga pants at Fishbowl was about you). If you didn’t yak “someone come hook up and watch netflix,” did you even really yik yak? This one may be a stretch, but I would say that Yik Yak taught us all two things. First, you are not alone because there is always someone yakking the things we are all too proud to tweet ourselves. Second, especially on a small campus like ours, your actions and behaviors have an effect on the people around you.
4. Ice Bucket Challenge
The social media viral sensation that filled all of our news feeds for weeks on end. And we all know that you’re lying if you say you weren’t nominated. This fad reminded us all how precious our life and health can be. We were able to watch this goofy trend raised multitudes of money for all sorts of incredible organizations that are working to cure our world.
5. Ebola
The disease that everyone feared in 2014. Yeah it was a huge social media joke, and all of us have made our own share of Ebola jokes, we both know it. But also, the spread of this terrible epidemic into our own American borders really humbled us as a nation. We were all reminded how crucial it is it for us to pay proper attention to worldwide issues that can often times feel so distant and aim to aid those less fortunate than us.
6. Friendsgiving
The holiday that we kinda made up just because we like our friends almost as much as we like our families (sometimes even more), and one holiday was not just not enough! We were all excited to return home for the Thanksgiving. And because we are basic and #blessed, 2014 gave us the bonus holiday Friendsgiving (supplementary to Thanksgiving), to give both friends and family the thankfulness and appreciation they truely deserve.
7. "Blank Space" by Taylor Swift
The song that took girl jam sessions to the next level at the end of 2014. T-Swift takes the cake with her explosive album, despite her refusal to put it on Spotify. “Blank Space” became every girl’s anthem, and the boys are still trying to figure out why we go crazy for it (while they secretly love it too). With this song, Taylor Swift taught us all that it’s totally okay to go crazy every once in a while and give the game of love all you’ve got.
All in all, I hope you enjoyed your 2014. Here’s to another year of the kinds of trendy wisdom we can’t predict.
Author: Alexandra Hristodoulou
