Page 27 - En-38

ELITE

Social media trends: How can

they define your "youth"?

Mariam Ismail - Level 2 - Political Science

mariam.ismail2020@feps.edu.eg
“Man is a social animal.” This is the essence Without doubt, “algorithm” is the most
of the creation of social networks; another conspicuous and anticipated keyword associated
step in our quest for more networking, more with trends. In fact, contrary to what many people
relationships, more "friends" and recently think the social media algorithm is not impossible
more views and "likes". The idea of social to solve or understand, it is just that this
algorithm is in continuous evolution and differs
media kept growing and invading huge parts from platform to platform. The changes applied to
of our lives and even businesses to the point the algorithm has only one purpose : to attach
where we had to learn how it works and more and more individuals to their devices; as it
decipher the ever-changing algorithm that was said in the dystopian Black Mirror series

makes us let's always be “connected”. Much “every update recommended or offered by the app
of this is based on the principle of being does nothing but make the user unable to look up
“aware of everything”, an idea that sounds from their device even for the most important of
harmless but under which the concept of reasons.” So no one can deny that social networks
"trends" is hidden. These trends affect us in in general have become intoxicating; Instagram
many ways every day unconsciously, it is shows you how you are incapable of being happy
like those influencers always travelling, Twitter
enough that now we can mark periods of our convinces you that life is miserable and nothing is
life with their trends as if they were going right, Facebook makes you laugh at memes
historical events. that are sometimes not funny at all, Tiktok tells
But what is a social media trend? A trending you that dancing gives a lot more money than
topic is one that gains popularity on one or more learning,… etc. These are just a few of the
social media platforms for a limited time. A hundreds of existing applications and more that
trend can be in a single country, or a region or are still emerging. Our happiness and
even the whole world; also it can vary between unhappiness are conditioned by what we read,
simple memes or political conflicts. In short, a only profiles - sometimes of unknown people -
trend is anything attractive to individuals, have the authority to legitimize the reasons for
whatever its nature. being sad or being happy.

26