Whenever an old Y2K song plays, it instantly takes us back. You remember how long that one track stayed on your playlist, for months, sometimes years. Back then, if something was a "hit", it actually had a life. Even viral products stuck around for a long time (remember Maybelline Baby Lips? It lived in all our bags forever).
Trends existed even then, but now they change almost every day. One week, everyone wants a Labubu. Next, it's a sipper bottle that somehow becomes a cultural moment.
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It's true that trends have always existed, but the speed at which we consume, discard, and chase the next thing has dramatically changed. And somewhere in that rush, we've stopped asking why. Why are we always looking for the next big thing? And at what cost to our attention, peace, and mental well-being?
Because (spoiler): it's not doing us much good.
When 'new' never stops
"I often hear people say, 'I just blink, and something new is trending.' What we're actually feeling is constant adjustment fatigue," says Nandita
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