By the time you finish this story, another TikTok trend will have come and gone, yet people continue to fixate on these and incorporate many into their everyday lives.
In fact, this obsession with trends led to the 2024 Oxford word of the year, “brain rot,” which is the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging.
“TikTok trends are appealing because they make people laugh and cringe at the same time,” sophomore Eleanor Reisch said. “When you say or do things in the right context, it’s really funny.”
Reisch’s sentiments are echoed by her fellow students at STA. It is nearly impossible to walk through the quad without seeing a Labubu swinging from a backpack or to enter a classroom without hearing the numbers six and seven shouted back and forth. The presence of these trends does not go without effect.
“The trends definitely have an impact on how students relate to me,” STA history teacher Ian Mulligan said. “I know that if I am confused about what they are saying, it probably has to do with some kind of trend.”
One of the most present trends throughout the STA halls today is the saying “six seven.”
“Six seven is a saying said a lot now that is based on a rap song,” Reisch said.
Reisch’s definition was paralleled by Mulligan’s, though he stated he does not fully understand the trend.
“I know it’s from a rap song, though I’m not sure who sings it,” Mulligan said. “I think it is a basketball reference, if I am remembering correctly. I don’t quite understand how my students bring it into everyday conversation as frequently as they do.”
Though he is in the loop on this specific trend, Mulligan emphasized that this was a conscious choice he had made, a choice to ask his students about their interests and to make an effort to understand.
“Knowing the trends is important,” Mulligan said. “I want to make a good connection with my students. That’s why I defer to them. If they can explain to me something that means a lot to them in a 60-second explanation, that feels sufficient.”
Some trends are fleeting, but others are guaranteed to stick around. Look on the dashboard of a car, the zipper of a backpack or a shelf and you’ll find it: a Labubu.
“A Labubu is a colorful little monster that you can buy in a blind box,” senior Bri Adams said. “You can clip them on your backpack or your purse to show them off.”
Unlike in the case of “six seven,” Labubus aren’t quite as understood by those outside of Gen Z.
“It’s a mix between a troll and a stuffed animal,” Mulligan said. “It’s cute and cuddly, but the facial expression is vicious. I don’t understand the craze.”
While many people echo Mulligan’s sentiments, some change their minds when they see a Labubu in a store or on TikTok, and it becomes an impulse buy.
“I wanted one because, regardless of how ridiculous they are, I thought they were precious,” Adams said.
The act of opening a blind box takes many consumers back to their childhood and induces a fun bout of nostalgia. This feeling comes at a high price.
“$60 is a lot of money,” Mulligan said. ” If you’re going out to spend that on something. I hope it’s with your own money that you worked for. It does feel like a waste of money, but if it’s something special and you feel like it’s part of your personality, then right on.”
