How unquestionably accepting are you of new trends?

i voted 2 but i'm more like a 1.5.

i heard all the cool kids are voting for 5

true, see mk.gee, dijon, and more earthy, post-blonde sensitive boy r&b

voted 2. my brain tends to only like putting effort and time into something lasting, and I am not a fan of going all-in on something that will be forgotten very soon, so I'm a very slow adopter. This wasn't the case 10-15 years ago, where I'd have been a 3-4.

I feel too much like a puppet if I hop from trend to trend - and most core aspects of my personality are relatively preserved in amber from my 20s, with the exception of my wisdom and social intelligence, which fortunately improved.

likewise, even for trends i do embrace, I hate for conversation about trends to take up more than a sliver of conversation time when I'm with friends.

then again, I could be insufferable about trends even in my 20s. I remember saying I'd never get a 'fancy' phone because "phones are for calls" (lol sanctimony!), vowed to never create a LiveJournal or MySpace profile (for about 3 months before I caved each time). but in my 30s, I became much less reclusive and more outgoing and I think largely as a result of that, i.e. being at more parties and social events where the conversation needed to keep going, it made me much more likely to adopt all of the fly by night trends, which if you read my old FB posts from 2010-2015, you'd see I did with vigor.

as my personality has undergone a somewhat Flowers for Algernon style regression and I've started to become more reclusive again, I find myself now balking at watching the shows everybody likes or even participating on social media at all, much less discussing trends. so I guess these two things are linked?

my partner's nephew told me i live a 'monk-like' existence so maybe i'm more like a 1 lol

all I can say is: SIX SEVEN!!

I voted 2, I do find some trends amusing and it amuses me to keep track of new trends to a certain extent.

All my music is old now, my style is from catalogs, I have been wearing one and only one brand of classic sneakers for 15+ years, I have a steady job with good benefits that I’m terrified of leaving, my haircut harkens to a bygone era, I don’t know if I voted option 0 out of reflexive “I always zag when others zig” or if I’m just a middle aged dude set in his ways who can barely be bothered to pay attention to “trends” enough to avoid stepping into them.

That all being said I think hot honey is the sundried tomatoes of this decade

yeah i guess this is missing an "i don't even see trends any more" option

Serious question: please define “trend”? i have been known to make a 6-7 joke (about a local coffee shop
called like “For Five coffee”). Was i participating in a trend?

for technology and fashion 2. for music or any arts really it's 4 verging on 5.

Serious question: please define “trend”?

yeah.. Karens being filmed verbally abusing cashiers is a 'trend' but not one I'm fond of

i won't be defining trend as i'm wary of the trend to define trend

music is where i'm trendiest but i think i'm only a 3. there is the issue of context, i.e. "on ilx" vs "compared to everyone else in my shit town"

I know myself enough to know I'm a solid 1. Something being trendy is never enough to entice me to participate. If it proves to have some practical value (that includes encouraging fun or happiness) then I will find a place for it in my life. The last really 'hot' trend I jumped on from the get-go was Googlewhacking**. iirc, that was circa 2002-03.

**the object of this game was to enter a two word search string in Google, btw NOT within quotes, and if Google returned exactly one web page containing both words it was a googlewhack. A search returning 2+ or zero results was a miss. This game could only happen early in the life of the web. it soon became impossible to win.

Need Antonin Scalia's opinion imo

I voted 0, I tend to be closest to that

I voted 0, I tend to be closest to that

For technology and other lifestyle accoutrements I'm basically a 1. I find brands I like and stick with them for decades.

For music I'm probably a 2, but I don't really think of music in trendy terms ("Everyone is doing X this year!") since jazz and metal, the things I listen to most, don't work that way.

I don't understand how it works for music, I don't like to follow fashion but tell me about a new genre and I'm instantly on board

Re: music. I guess I keep up with the latest “trends” in jazz and contemporary classical in order to keep abreast of the latest movements in “genres” (for lack of a better term) I care about, but those musics are much slower moving if not static than pop.

I love all my fellow ilxors but I don’t understand those of you—musicians and professional writers excepted— who try to keep up with pop music trends. Must be exhausting!

I sometimes force my buddies to listen to Rosalia or Olivia Rodrigo etc.. not because I'm that into it but just because I don't wanna be that old guy who is still going on about nothing but obscure Big Star demos or whatever.. it's good to be aware of this stuff even if it's not your thing

(We decided that Sabrina Carpenter is more fun than Taylor)

In all things I'm at least a solid 3, but for music closer to 4 or even 5. New ideas and trends in music and the creative arts are super inspiring, however, that's with the caveat that these ideas and creations are human made. Electronic music has always been a big focus of mine, and it's always changing and being "trendy" in some ways. I also love seeking new music, which is inherently going to jump on new ideas and "trends" as well.

Even in my older middle age, I'm listening constantly to new stuff and rarely get too nostalgic for the music I "grew up with" compared to most of my friends.

barely aware of trends at all

some are pretty obviously bad/stupid (NFTs, the manosphere, elon, maga, sports betting)

some are simply puzzling to me, which is fine, i am old. (reality series, 'influencers', etc.) particularly those that are clearly trying to sell you shit

i like to learn about new music but a) there's too much, b) i no longer have the time (remaining in my life!) to listen to everything, and c) geese? seriously?

I think in the past 20 years the main trend I’ve actually picked up on and run with is growing my beard out. But now that seems largely passe so my commitment to it feels like a zero sum - back to my original vote.

Needs an option for being generally curious from a cultural/anthropological standpoint, I like to see what things the species is up to but am mostly happy to watch from a distance.

My answer is -oo

I observe trends with an anthropological distance and assess how engagement with said trends can benefit me personally, both in terms of personal enjoyment, adjustment of my own behaviour/word choice, financial/artistic benefits thereof. I neither hate them or love them, it’s a change of the winds that I take into account

“How do I feel about a trend” is like how do I feel about the fact that it’s raining right now? I don’t feel about it. I decide if I want to bring an umbrella or if I want to get wet

I think in the past 20 years the main trend I’ve actually picked up on and run with is growing my beard out.

i've had a beard for 20+ years but know nothing of the accessories (why would i need to oil my facial hair?)

Moisturizes the skin underneath and smells good ime

hmm

3 for art and entertainment, 0-1 for tech and consumer products

xp no, i'm sorry, upon reflection that's ridiculous

idk the right way to vote for this - i basically accept any/all at the time but there's a certain point around a year in i realize some trend is canon.

Once I went to a barber to trim my beard (was traveling, my beard was getting wild) and dude added oil to it at the end. Not only did it smell really nice, but it felt kinda silky instead of like harsh wool. Definitely would recommend trying it at least.

fair enough, although that's a trend i am not unquestionably accepting of

“How do I feel about a trend” is like how do I feel about the fact that it’s raining right now? I don’t feel about it. I decide if I want to bring an umbrella or if I want to get wet

This is a very funny example to me because it seems like exactly the kind of thing many people would have feelings about! Just because you can’t do anything about it but react does not stop people from having feelings about the rain.

This question feels a bit vast to me. Is every new music sub-genre a trend? Does it matter if the trend is coming from some grass roots base, from a big capital marketing push, from one leading to the other? Do political developments like the alt right or dirtbag left count as trends?

I dunno, obviously generalisations are always inevitable to some extent but I find it hard to give an answer that works for gqom music and also AI and also labubus...

I grew up quite cynical of trends. But I think 2000s ILM taught me to be a bit more open minded in that respect. If anything I find myself increasingly fascinated by the new even if getting older means it naturally gets further from my reach. I think I told myself early on that I didn't want to be the cynical 21 year old I used to be and understand that "trends" are just part of an evermoving ephemeral tapestry

I had a little Nokia phone till 2015 iirc, and I've only had two smart phones.

"unquestionably accepting" is just not a mode i am able to switch to in any context tbh

Surprised how anti trend ilx is on this thread considering I think of this place as extremely interested in trends generally

Anyway I voted three even tho that doesn’t seem sufficiently enthusiastic — I think trends are fun to be aware of, to discuss, to engage with, to be aware of in a weather person sort of way, tracking changes as they happen and playfully incorporating them into your life while, I hope obviously, not letting them dictate your long term direction or values overly, or letting you lose yourself in them … anyway I think there’s a bit of protesting too much itt

I would think it’s obvious to fans of music that a trend -> principles dialectic is a part of any healthy ecosystem

I guess the irony to me is I think of anti rockism, a core ilx principle, as a kind of embrace of novelty and the constantly shifting cultural marketplace.

id agree that in particular ilxors rating themselves as non-trend aware/interested on music is really weird

relative to who?!

I can't give a general answer to this. Depends on the trend. I don't have a one size fits all view. I guess we are living our lives and trends or things which are seen as trends emerge and sometimes they are already a part of your life, other times they are alien. Or I guess a mixture of both, like everyone in London drinking Guinness.

Labubus good, AI terrible ihibidtae

I'm somewhere between #2 or #3, closer to the latter if it's enhancing or preserving my looks.

I've only heard a fee podcasts, like less than 10.

*few

I am a 1 who if they weren't on ilx would be completely unaware of any trends whatsoever.

I have only owned two televisions

My apartment smells of rich mahogany

I suppose it depends on what you mean by "embrace". I enjoy knowing about trends and appreciating them, but I don't necessarily participate in them.

Years ago I read an academic study that concluded that people who don't have children are less aware of popuar culture and can get left behind moreeasily in all kinds of cultural areas, just because they would have to make an effort to expose themselves to new music/art/fashion/etc. It all sounded a bit sad to me, so I resolved to make a bit of an effort. This more or less just means I try to not to be dismissive immediately of new things that young people are doing, and I watch Glow Up so I can keep up with the world of influencers without actually knowing anything about them.

I see trends float past me but I don't embrace them or reject them. No vote.

I used to be so disdainful of podcasters/streamers that I'd usually groan at the mention of them. Now I listen to shitloads of them - even terrible ones. Lol, I have a gifted subscription to a brummie streamer who talks about digging up the rotting corpses of imperialist fascists from history and fingering them. This is an example of the rich vein of culture and political analysis I have been feeding on and widening my worldview with, and was previously missing out on. I'm much more cultured now.

Fingering imperialist fascists would certainly widen a worldview.

as a hyper, hyper, hyperphantasiaist I had a very widescreen 4k image of this corpse-fingering act in my mind tbh!

tbf on him he also does very astute and cutting class and identity based criticism of modern neo-fascism and the running dogs of neoliberalism that enable it. Good background noise when cooking a ragu.

I just don’t understand why we feel there is an obligation to keep up with trends. Credit in heaven?

I should say, some people, not all of us obviously

like I guess there’s a line between genuine curiosity, and doing it for some idea of self-improvement

I suspect keeping up with trends is a fascinating participatory social science exercise forvthose with the time, energy and inclination to engage in it. That’s my most generous reading. And sometimes knowing about what’s new and cool can be its own reward? But as I’ve said I’m just too old and tired for it I think.

I just don’t understand why we feel there is an obligation to keep up with trends. Credit in heaven?

― Modollno Kahn (Boring, Maryland), Wednesday, December 24, 2025 11:59 AM (fifty-two minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

Engaging with the social world is an obligation to you?

i think "trends" is a specific cut rather than the social world entire though

back to the survey trishyb mentions, i dont have kids and im not, for instance, as up to the moment as my friends are about bluey, before that paw patrol, before that baby shark or whatever, but i have had time to check out preston sturges, or friedkin's main ouevre or etc etc which in the main those guys havent. im sure they will get new music or whatever in time but eh there's lot of music much of it good some of that is new im sure but i havent had to go looking for it yet

trend for trend's sake has a very narrow use case of interest to me

maybe tied to this is the rush to declare anything as-it-releases either great or shite, particularly tv shows

most of it is shite, but the rush of opinion (even on ilx) on anything as it releases usually just becomes an enthusiasm or criticism contest signalling anything but an actual useful (to me anyway, eemmv) steer on what's worth bothering with

for most of us most of our social world is aging right alongside us, not that i feel strongly about keeping up with anything either way. there's already way too much cultural stuff in the world, any time you spend fretting about what you're missing would be better spent engaging with whatever you're interested in imo

We may have gotten a bit off track from the thread question (yes I am aware of which website I am on) which was about acceptance of new trends versus paying attention to all of them at once. But perhaps that’s because there really is a blurry line there? Anyway I suspect I am broadly accepting of new trends when I DO notice them, it just rarely happens and also I rarely embrace any trends because I have never, ever been a “cool, hip” person (according to myself)

I hate them all but I want to know about them

If it’s a band that is just about to crest into household name status, or a show that has gone viral and has everyone tuning in every week, or a game that has just been released (and everyone is still figuring out the mechanics/methods of play), there is that unique element of “not knowing the ending” that is addictive and appealing

I hate them all but I want to know about them

― Whiney G. Weingarten, Wednesday, December 24, 2025 7:53 PM (eleven minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

kinda yeah. except labubus, i didn't want to know about those. ftr this was just a 'i'm bored out of my skull at work' thread yesterday not a research question or anything. watercooler-type stuff. i could have written 4 a little more charitably. that's probably a more honest answer of where i am with music.

I just don’t understand why we feel there is an obligation to keep up with trends. Credit in heaven?

― Modollno Kahn (Boring, Maryland), Wednesday, December 24, 2025 11:59 AM (fifty-two minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

Engaging with the social world is an obligation to you?

having a social life is different from studying the latest pop album like a text to be decoded in some desire to “understand society”

I guess for me the thing about people being super anti trend is it feels further from the truth they’re claiming ownership of; life is constantly in flux, instable, things that feel timeless can feel dated and things that felt dated can suddenly feel relevant, were all living in a shifting web of social connections largely out of our control. Some people respond by trend chasing desperate to appear relevant; others respond by insisting on a kind of unnatural stability. I think of a relationship with trends as largely about living in the present personally

the world does not need, nor is obligated to heed my 52 year old white heterosexual man’s opinion on labubus or the latest streaming sensation or a Disney pop star

I am not anti-trend. I like what I like and I will happily let others like what they like, but I am not obligated to like what they like.

I mean, there are trends among 52 year old white heterosexuals as much as any other demographic can become gripped by trends. The world’s pop culture apparatus does tend to disengage from trying to capture our attention as we hit middle age tho fs

also... whose social world? trends esp. industry music trends are often driven by young people. do i need to ride that train over and over for the rest of my life? there is something grotesque about older folks who keep doing young person trends imho. like, as you learn about the world, shouldn't there be some kind of progression? i adopted certain trends in my teens and twenties to define myself. as i grew older i learned that what makes me part of the world is much deeper than that. and so my quest for knowledge expands into other realms. that are maybe larger older or more interesting than the pop music industry. are those things trend-driven too? yes to a certain degree. i also agree that it doesn't make sense to be "anti-trend" on some kind of principle. more that it's ok and it makes sense to look at something new coming from young people and say "oh, they are doing this story that i once did in this new way - good for them - what is out there that fits my story now?"

The world’s pop culture apparatus does tend to disengage from trying to capture our attention as we hit middle age tho fs

uhh no? it's everywhere and it's very persistent. esp. in the world of gay men. there is a ton of messaging all the time one encounters as an aging gay man to stay young in taste.

I'm old enough at this point that I am almost orthogonal to trends.

I have decided to graduate from trend follower to trend setter. I'm still working some of the kinks out, but I expect to become viral shortly on the strength of the personal magnetism I exhibit here on ILX and in the various grocery stores I patronize.

just follow my lead and you'll get there soon enough!

i’ve been getting into Willamette Valley Pinot Noir I guess thats a trend

That's the stuff!

I think there’s some misunderstanding here if you think my postion is “slavishly follow youth trends.”

Trends occur among all populations and age brackets.

Yup. The trend in my age group is taking Ozempic.

I think there’s some misunderstanding here if you think my postion is “slavishly follow youth trends.”

Trends occur among all populations and age brackets.

yes, I misunderstood. I do agree that every age and class group have “trends”, however one defines them.

yeah i agree. i wasn't imputing that at all in d-40s words though i admit to having youth trends in mind when starting this thread.

honestly there's something refreshing and liberatory about how trends among young people seem to come out of nowhere, while trends with older folks seem to happen because some authority tells them it's what they're supposed to do.

one that feels like it happens right when people start to feel a little older is teeth-whitening. it's like someone's had a decent job for a few years and they do it to get more likes on socials or something. personally not a fan but whatever.

teeth whitening looks freaky to me, very Mar-a-Lago Face

I didn't know who Jake Paul was till the ilx thread was posted

A good thread about this subject is the kitty pryde one

all i remember about the kitty pryde thread was ilxors losing their mind over a beat that was ripped straight from donkey kong country 2

lots of people saying 6 and 7 but I can only see options up to 5

I put #2. I have a 12 year-old so I tend to evaluate adult and kid trends on two different planes. My kid is also pretty skeptical of most craze-type trends and tends to engage with things that are queer/nerdy and/or neurodivergent coded, so I have a lot more enthusiasm for those things through them. I've always been craze-averse but I'll notice something and engage with it if it aligns with things I already like (like K-Pop Demon Hunters was pretty good!). I think D-40 most closely reflects my stance on this. Engaging with the social world, being curious about what's going on out there, what's driving people to act certain ways. I might not like most of it, but I want to know about it.