Societal Themes

Discover how TikTok trends shape Gen Z’s online culture through viral content and creative engagement.

TikTok has become a central platform where Gen Z expresses creativity and connects through viral trends. From dance challenges to relatable comedy, these trends reflect unique social and cultural dynamics. According to media researcher Natalie Wade of Fortune, understanding these trends requires looking beyond surface-level entertainment to their social impacts. This list highlights key popular TikTok trends favored by Gen Z, exploring what makes them resonate and how they engage users across the platform.

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Explore how young people use screens differently through streaming, scrolling, multitasking, and social media engagement

Young people today engage with screens in varied ways, including streaming videos, scrolling social media feeds, multitasking across devices, and more. Understanding these different habits helps reveal how digital consumption shapes their daily experiences and attention span.

Recognizing these screen use patterns is essential for promoting balanced digital habits and supporting youth digital well-being. By identifying active versus passive engagement and setting mindful boundaries, parents and educators can help foster healthier screen time routines.

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Higher costs don’t just hit your wallet—they change the whole gaming experience.

The PlayStation 5 was already a pricey console, and now a price hike has made it even more expensive. For gamers, the impact goes beyond just paying more upfront. Rising costs ripple into other parts of the gaming world, affecting how people play, what they buy, and even how communities grow.

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Today’s superpowers would have melted a dial-up modem.

If you could time-drop today’s phone into 1996, it would read as a magic trick. The apps we treat as furniture would have reconfigured commutes, mixtapes, office politics, and Friday nights in one tap.

This list isn’t nostalgia bait—it’s a reminder that software keeps collapsing errands, tools, and gatekeepers. Each app would have felt ridiculous in the dial-up era, now they run our lives. Used well, they buy back time you didn’t know you spent.

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Rising prices haven’t stopped wallets from opening.

Inflation usually makes people pull back, but American spending habits often tell a different story. Even as the cost of living climbs, consumer spending has stayed strong. Shoppers are still filling carts, booking trips, and making big purchases.

The reasons aren’t simple. Culture, psychology, and economic forces all play a part in why people keep spending. Here are ten key explanations for why Americans continue to shop despite higher prices.

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Women entrepreneurs are reshaping what success looks like.

Across the U.S., women-owned businesses are growing faster than ever. They’re not only creating jobs but also redefining leadership, showing that success doesn’t have to follow traditional models. This growth isn’t just about breaking barriers—it’s about building sustainable, thriving businesses.

The reasons for this momentum are varied, but they reflect both resilience and creativity. Here are ten explanations for why women-owned small businesses are experiencing such strong growth right now.

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The endless scroll is designing a lifestyle you can’t afford.

In the glowing, handheld world of TikTok, a new and powerful financial culture is being forged, one algorithmically tailored to each individual user. The platform’s famously addictive “For You Page” has become a relentless firehose of product recommendations, micro-trends, and aspirational lifestyles. For many in Gen Z, this endless stream of content is not just entertainment; it’s a primary driver of their perception of the world and, by extension, their spending habits.

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