Stop Resisting Trends!

The Irony of Trends: A persuasive text on a marketing strategy

PART 1: JOMO—THE JOY OF MISSING OUT

More often than not, 40% of people react negatively to what is trendy online. It is not by choice alone, but a few are influenced or misled by certain online narratives.

This is JOMO, the joy of missing out. It is used as a marketing strategy to promote the idea of individualism. As fitting as it is, this joy is quite ironic in the contemporary era of our digital landscape, isn’t it?

For the previous generations who value norms and traditions, JOMO is the act of rebellion that turns into a trend once it encourages autonomy in society. This joy is quite ironic as it portrays “the trend of not conforming to trends”.

PART 2: THE MILKING OF JOMO

With social media that pushes a particular algorithm, product reviews and lifestyle trends often get the short end of the stick, regardless. When it comes to political or socio-political topics, feeds are often dominated by negative video essays and commentary.

This environment feeds into a psychological tendency. A desire for society to recognize one as unique and set apart from the crowd. As a result, a person may assert a personal identity by avoiding or outright rejecting trends.

PART 3: THE IRONY OF TRENDS

Although one can argue, “It is not good for you.” “Don’t ever buy this.” How can one form an opinion if they have never tried what they’re curious about?

Social media turns following trends into a source of fear of missing out. Through this mainstream marketing strategy, it’s no wonder that 40% of the population flat-out ignore or reject these popular trends and sometimes complain about why some subscribe to those “fads.”

At this point, it’s not about resisting or following trends. By definition, a trend is a pattern of behavior, style, or practice that has a long-lasting influence. So, stop resisting and start exploring! Trends exist for a reason, and avoiding them only makes us more likely to miss out on experiences we might have truly enjoyed.

Thanks for reading!