When looking back on their childhood, everyone can remember trends and fads that have long since lost popularity. While interviewing many people, and asking some for recent popular fads, a sense of nostalgia from their childhood was brought back with a sense of joy. What is a fad exactly? It’s a short lived trend that has a large group of followers. A fad can include anything from language, clothing, or a popular toy. There were the sillybandz, a rubber band that formed many random shapes that were popular in the middle school, or the recently popular “eos” chapstick, better known as a “chegg” to most because of it’s egg like appearance.
While remembering past fads, everyone commonly thinks of things that they had from their childhood. For example, adults nowadays remember the 80’s were as a time of rock music, bold colors, but most importantly, big hair. When looking at albums of classic rock bands, such as KISS or Guns n’ Roses, one thing that is first noted is their big hair. Getting a perm and buying numerous spray cans in a single purchase was normal. But it was agreed by many of JCHS students that it was trend that does not need a comeback.
Certain technology is a common trend to come and go. For example cell phones often become popular fads. From the infamous “Chocolate” that never broke no matter how many times people tried to break them, to the “EnV” and “Blackberry” which were on everyone’s wish lists, everyone had to have these phones not long ago. Some computer games have not been forgotten too, such as having a virtual pet on Webkinz, Club Penguin, and Neopets, which were commonly mentioned by students when asked about their favorite childhood trend. There was also the rise and fall of the beloved “Tamogotchi.” Who can forget the addictive handheld digital pet that a person would raise as though it was a real life animal? That trend lead to almost every student bringing it to school everyday for the fear of their favorite Tamogotchi’s death as a result of putting the toy down. A more recent trend has been found in certain social networking. JCHS junior Zach Izraeli states that “Facebook has not been as popular as it once was with younger kids”, and that “other social media sites have taken its place instead.”
Many fads come and go. If the product is clever enough, it will define a generation. Who knows, maybe things such as “iPhones” or the overused term “YOLO” will make the list soon. But for now at least everyone will just have to wait to see what fads are in store in the future.
