Written By: Abby Young

2021 has been a year of many developing trends in various industries. This year has been specifically formative for social media and the many different ways in which platforms allow followers to interact with one another and have given access to different online tools. 

The prevalence of Stories 

First surfacing in 2016, Stories give followers a quick snapshot of information or a poster’s general perspective. Stories have transformed from sharing memories and experiences to something much larger- which has and will continue to make a significant impact on information sharing throughout this year on different social media platforms. Specifically, Stories have been most broadly used in the form of videos or reposts, predominantly on Instagram. With the rise of TikTok and Reels, most videos have become viral in portrait mode, which makes it easier to share these viral videos to a Story. In conjunction, Stories have become a place to promote information and content in a somewhat noncommittal way because Stories disappear in 24 hours. Users have taken to this mode of posting over posting to their feed because it conveys a message or promotes content without the necessity of making it a part of their permanent profile. As 2021 and the abundance of information on social media both continue, there will surely be continued growth in the use of the Story feature. 

Accessibility to shopping 

Another significant rise in the realm of social media has been the accessibility to shopping. Social media promotions have changed the way consumers online shop by negating the need to go to a specific website or even browse too much. Products ranging from clothes to appliances are readily available for users to purchase on the respective social media platform. Although the pandemic was a significant factor in the rise of social media commerce and virtual shopping in general, this year has given the niche industry more of a spotlight. This evolution in shopping has given rise to more specific fashion trends and even more targeted product ads in general. The continual rise of influencers has also contributed to the availability of social commerce, as individual users can promote products that can now be bought directly on their social media posts or profile. Even as physical stores continue to open up following the lessening of the pandemic, the social commerce aspect of online shopping and social media will continue to grow.

Sustainable causes 

One other consistent trend on social media throughout this year is the prevalence of sustainability and environmentally conscious movements. What seemed to start out as a few influencers wanting to genuinely live more environmentally friendly has evidently turned into a trendy way of life. Influencers have created a persona around eating organically, producing less waste, and overall being more aware of their consumption. There has been some pushback on this trend because living a sustainable lifestyle is generally more time consuming and expensive, which means it is not an ideal living situation for all social media users who have watched this trend unfold. Whether the consistent push for sustainability on social media is more coercion or just encouragement, it is certainly continuing to go from a few lifestyle changes to a full blown trend.

Overall, social media is continuing to evolve throughout 2021. As the year wraps up, users are seeing the tools of Stories and social commerce, as well as ideas of sustainability that were brought to light in 2020, become more consistently trendy this year. 

Sources

https://www.paloaltoonline.com/blogs/p/2021/08/14/social-media-and-the-sustainable-fashion-movement 

https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-trends/ 

https://www.vectornator.io/blog/social-media-stories 

https://www.vox.com/the-goods/22412098/social-commerce-explainer