Since its launch in 2010, Instagram has successfully managed to tail millions of people—Gen Z, millennials, Gen X, Boomers—around the globe.
From posts to stories to reels to IGTV to DMs, this “ping” is the one everyone has ON in the phones.
Let's turn over and skip to the good part! The Instagram trends that defined 2021!
1. Catch my face
Well, you do have a face. You know where all the parts of your face are. Then, in this trend all you have to do is catch your face correctly. This challenge is not so hard, which makes it one of the most popular ones. When your eyes, nose and mouth come floating by, blink and there you have it! Your face- with a lot of likes.
2. Blink at 4.000
Is it too hard to blink? Every Iger has tried blinking to this trend, oh, and trust me, they didn’t have it the easy way. As soon as the clock starts ticking from 0.000, be on guard! Missing the 4.000 mark by a few seconds can be frustrating, right, but we have been tested by what not this year, so, why not try it again?
3. Clap with F.R.I.E.N.D.S
If you are a F.R.I.E.N.D.S fan or not, this challenge is an absolute fun with friends! You might know the lyrics of the 'I’ll be there for you', but, this ain't about the words; it's about the clap! After “So no one told you life was gonna be this way”, clap, clap, clap! Sync at the right time, and there you have it. PS. don’t forget to tune along with your gang to the rest of “I'll be there for you…..When the rain starts to pour…I’ll be…”
4. Don't fall challenge
Who doesn’t face a challenge in life? But all of us have the choice of getting up and showing grit. This challenge busted some stereotypes relating to issues like women’s choice of having kids, gender-fluid clothing, body positivity and mental health among others. If you are keen on breaking a misconception, hashtag #Don’tFallChallenge.
5. #BongoChaChaCha
Based on the retro song ‘Bongo Cha Cha Cha’ by Catarina Valenta, there are many fun variations to this funky tune. People have created expectations vs. reality videos where they sway along with the song while showing something they’re expected to do. As the ‘Bongo Cha Cha Cha’ song goes, they move on to show what they actually do in reality. Other variations include waltzing to the song with one's friends, adding the Otra Boca- the funny lip sync filter to anything and anyone from the sleeping brother to the cute pet. This song was indeed an IG fav of the year!
6. iPhone Wallpaper
Tired after all the moves? Well, then this trend was all about staying still. Until the “ aa…aa” in the song ‘Banna Re’ by Chitralekha Sen and DJ Shadow Dubai, hold your breath and don’t move your limbs. As soon as the beat hits high, dance along. With more than 2.1M reels with this song, make sure you look right while scrolling through the reels, because sometimes the video might just be a photo!
7. Bachpan Ka Pyaar
The video of a kid standing in a classroom wearing a blue shirt singing ‘Bachpan Ka Pyaar’ with a straight face took the social media on loop. The wonder boy who won many hearts is Sahdev Dirdo from Chhattisgarh. Soon after the video went viral, Instagrammers created many versions of ‘Bachpan Ka Pyaar’. Celebrities like Surbhi Chandna, Bharti Singh to influencers, everyone made and reeled in with the trend.
Later, Badshah wrote the new version of the original music by Mayur Nadiya, featuring Sahdev Dirdo along with Aastha Gill and Rico, composed by Hiten.
8. Show us your name in Urban Dictionary
Do you know the meaning of your name? Have you checked it in the Urban Dictionary? If you have not been a part of this trend yet, hurrryyy! This trend had everyone showing their name in Urban Dictionary using the “Add Yours” sticker feature in Insta. Urban Dictionary is a crowdsourcing online dictionary for the GenZ slangs and phrases. Some meanings were flattering, while others, the not-so-great ones were shared with humour.
9. Photo Crop Challenge
If you are with your clique, this is one of the best trends in IG. Try to squeeze into the bouncing cropped frame and make sure your face is in the box when the time is up! This challenge is full of energy and is hilarious as the creators dart across the room trying to fit into the box. Though it is just a box, this filter is not as easy as its four lines.
10. 2021 recap
Being on the brink of 2022, what better trend than a recap of this year? 2021 was the second year with Mr. COVID, a yet another eventful and tumultuous year. From lockdowns, Netflix and chill, work from home, vaccine drives, to Mr. New COVID variant, Omicron, we all learned how to do the math in our mental health. With a video editing app and a couple of your memorable pictures and videos of the year, tag along with a trending bgm.
Were these the only trends in the past 12-long months? Nah! #DontRushChallenge, #ricochallenge, #jalebibabychallenge, #IkoIkoChallenge are some in the long list.
But if you are a johnny-come-lately, skip the fadlag and jump on to the bandwagon before 2021 goes emo! Now that you’re dope in the trends of 2021, pause a minute and scroll up. In case you missed out on one, “Yalla”, 2022 is going to sail soon.
