Today, we're in the thick of the mobile era – obsessed with
never quite having enough apps to distract ourselves with, addicted to constant
on-the-go Internet access, mesmerized by cool gadgets that can talk to our
smartphones and hooked on our endless desires to consume more content.
Here are just 10 culture-defining trends on the Internet
right now that we'll probably look back on in the future and think,
"man... those were the simpler days!"
The selfie movement.
The front-facing camera on our smartphones changed the way
we take pictures, and social apps changed the way we share them. It's far too
convenient to share selfies these days, which is why we've probably seen the
trend grow into something we've all really learned to embrace. And it probably
doesn't help that there are countless photo editing apps available that make it
a breeze to enhance your selfie before you even share it.
News breaking on Twitter first (before it breaks anywhere
else).
If you want to get access to the latest news as fast as
possible, Twitter is your best option. This little micro-blogging social
network changed the way we consume news and stay updated on what's happening in
real-time. Of course, the problem with such quick breaking news is that there's
no guarantee that everything that shows up in your Twitter stream is true and
credible. Still, there's no other platform quite like it for getting your news
fix.
Our strange obsession with animated GIFs.
The animated GIF is a magnificent cross between an image and
a short video -- without the sound. Popular social networking platforms that
thrive on image-based content Tumblr and Reddit have become go-to places for
GIF sharing, or there's Giphy – the Internet's image search engine for GIFs.
Google even recently introduced an image search filter for animated GIFs, so
you know where to find something when you really need to find a specific GIF,
fast.
Content curation provided by the convenience of hashtagging.
Memes, memes and more memes.
The Internet is obsessed with sharing memes. Websites like
BuzzFeed, Know Your Meme and I Can Haz Cheeseburger have built online business
empires out of memes, and every week, it seems like there's a new one to be
following. The viral power of ridiculous memes like YOLO or Doge is undeniable.
We can't get enough of them, and there are tons of meme generator tools you can
use to create your own and contribute to whatever meme is most popular at the
moment.
Internet personalities transforming into real celebrities.
It's obvious that social media has opened up new doors for
people to showcase their talents and attract an online fanbase. For many now
famous celebrities, starting out by putting their stuff online was really the
only option. Today, all kinds of mainstream actors, musicians, bands, comedians
and more owe their success to the openness of the web, including major
entertainment-based social networks like MySpace and YouTube. Without them,
they may have never been able to get their foot in the door in the first place.
Cloud streaming all of our TV shows, movies and music.
Who needs CDs and DVDs anymore now that we can get unlimited
Boredom with social networks that simply just 'connect'
everyone.
The social web moves so fast, it's not easy to always be
right on top of what current social networking site or app is the next big
thing. If anything's for sure, it's that most of us have recognized how bloated
the social networking experience has become with the availability of so many
sites and apps out there promoting huge friend or follower numbers, constant
engagement and never ending streams of content sharing. Oversharing has become
a big turn off for some of us, which is why apps like Path and even Snapchat
have popped up to bring a more intimate and minimalist experience to social networking.
The rise of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrecy clones.
Almost everyone has heard about Bitcoin by now -- the
decentralized digital currency that started turning a lot of heads in 2013 as
more people got involved with mining, trading and spending it. Bitcoin has had
its fair share of problems given that it isn't overseen by any central
authority, but that hasn't stopped its growing popularity. As a result,
countless other cryptocurrency clones have popped up all over the web – some of
which seem almost too ridiculous to be real.
WiFi-enabled 'smart' gadgets, devices and appliances.
It's not just your computer and your smartphone that are
connected to the Internet these days. We're starting to see a lot more gadgets
and household objects come with WiFi-enabled features. And someday, our entire
homes and cities could thrive on a connected network where every device,
machine, and thing can communicate with one another to perform and automate
tasks. That's what we'll see if and when the Internet of Things becomes a part
of mainstream reality.
