Life on Earth has, without a doubt, been different in just about every way this year because of the global pandemic. And, given the necessitated lifestyle changes, we, netizens, have come up with many things to keep ourselves busy, engaged, connected, and entertained throughout. With the second wave of COVID-19 hitting India like a bus, lockdown trends from 2020 are likely to re-emerge, so let’s review some of them. *nostalgia pours in*

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#DalgonaCoffee

As the world was being forced into self-quarantine in order to contain the spread of the coronavirus, many people around the globe fell back on their cooking skills to get through and one of the most tangible and deliciously consumable trends became the Dalgona Coffee. However, while the foamy coffee had taken over social media overnight, most realized that it took quite an effort to make the coffee without an electric whisk.

 

#ChallengeAccepted / Tag your queens

The #ChallengeAccepted trend originally started as a way to raise awareness for cancer but gradually morphed into something entirely different – women across social media started encouraging each other to upload a black-and-white image of just themselves. Some had also turned it into a saree challenge, but all variations are aimed at spreading positivity during trying times.

 

#SafeHandsChallenge

This challenge involved celebrities sharing a video of them washing their hands for a full 20 seconds and tagging each other to demonstrate the importance of the right doctor-recommended method to wash hands as a simple preventative measure against COVID-19. In the wake of the second wave of the virus, India, never ceasing to impress us, keeps beating its score in the competition of highest single-day spikes, proving the need to bring back this trend.

 

#InstagramLives

This is yet another phenomenon we’ve seen gain popularity that got us through the lockdown. Without the option of drawing scores to a location, musicians turned to Instagram to perform live for their fans. Many organizations are also using this platform as an effective way to discuss COVID-19 initiatives by hosting live Q&A sessions with health experts and involving their followers. Not only a great way to pass some time, but Instagram lives also help spread awareness and get people to talk about the issue at hand.

 

#LudoKing and #AmongUs

Ludo King is a virtual version of the classic board game Ludo – not that you didn’t know. It was one of the most successful coping mechanisms to get by during the lockdown. With time spent on Ludo King became more than Instagram and Snapchat together, it unsurprisingly become the most downloaded app in India in March 2020. As for Among Us, it was a great way to connect with your friends with some healthy competition.

 

#FitnessChallenges

Because of the overwhelming amount of time in our hands and not being able to go out, most of us pursued other routes to stay active. There was the #See10Do10Challenge, #100SkippingChallenge, #PlankChallenge, #NoEquipmentWorkout and so many others of the kind. But one of the most popular trends was the Chloe Ting Workout Challenge (Or what it this year? I have lost track of time).

  

#UntilTomorrow

Remember the random old, embarrassing pictures of people showing up at your feed? Yes, it was the #UntilTomorrow challenge where you had to do exactly that and leave the picture on your profile for 24 hours. To keep the trend going, you then had to text everyone (or just those you really speak to) who liked the photo. Nevertheless, people didn’t religiously follow the rules and the challenge turned into everyone just posting pretty pictures of themselves.

 

#OnlineBingo

This one’s along the lines of Never Have I Ever – love that game. People shared boxes of information designed like a bingo card, checking off things they have done or have done during the lockdown, and tagging others to join the trend. This also became one of the ways to make cards for people’s birthdays.

 

#TragicDIYHaircuts

People went nuts about their hair getting in their face and they did something about it – often with hilarious results. Social media was full of failed haircuts, self-chopped bangs, and shaved heads that finally lost hope. The fun part was that quarantine made everyone 10 times more authentic, so instead of hiding in shame, they’re flaunting their mishaps with goofy grins.

 

Remember to stay indoors and spend your time rewinding back to these trends :)

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Written by: Saranya Gupta

Edited by: Aarushi Bansal