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We’re social beings, so it only makes sense that many of us want to be respected, accepted, and adored. We crave being part of the group, so we copy certain behaviors to fit in and appear hip and cool. However, blindly following trends can do a lot of harm, especially when they change so quickly these days.

Inspired by u/Tater-Tot-Casserole, the r/AskReddit online community opened up about what they personally think are the most damaging new trends that we see these days. They hoped to raise some awareness among other internet users and urge them to be more careful. Scroll down to read their opinions, and remember to upvote the ones you agree with, Pandas.

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#1

32 New Trends That Are Doing A Lot Of Damage But Many People Don't Realize It Extremely elderly politicians.

No-Economy-3961 , History in HD / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
209points
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#2

32 New Trends That Are Doing A Lot Of Damage But Many People Don't Realize It Posting children and all their personal, emotional and vulnerable moments. People are LITERALLY pimping children for karma and followers. Crying children. Dying children. Naughty children. Confused children. Humiliated children. .

carseatsareheavy , Ketut Subiyanto / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
208points
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#3

32 New Trends That Are Doing A Lot Of Damage But Many People Don't Realize It I think de-stigmatizing mental health is great. I think all the self diagnoses and hyper acceptance where it's used as justification for s****y, lazy, or entitled behavior is not. I'm sorry to people who are truly struggling, but you still need to take responsibility for your mental health and put effort into trying to grow and heal.

Misdirected_Colors , Sofia Alejandra / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
197points
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The more popular the trend, the greater the impulse to follow suit. You don’t want to stand out from your friends, family, and coworkers, do you now?! Many of us feel the pressure to fit in, even if we’re aware that we’re dealing with a new trend.

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Maybe you feel the hype on the internet and feel the itch to watch a new TV show or play a specific video game. Or you feel like you have to make a certain type of content because the format is popular right now. 

Perhaps all of your coworkers have been sporting a specific hairstyle or a particular type of jacket that’s all the rage in town, and now, you feel like you should follow suit. Or maybe there’s a fresh diet that everyone’s been proclaiming is a godsend (and is totally better than the last half-a-dozen trendy diets they tried in the last year alone). Trends are inescapable. But it comes down to us to decide how to react to them.
#4

32 New Trends That Are Doing A Lot Of Damage But Many People Don't Realize It Pranking unsuspecting people for clout.

Snickerdoodlepop , lifesimply.rocks / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
177points
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#5

32 New Trends That Are Doing A Lot Of Damage But Many People Don't Realize It IPads for toddlers. Let’s destroy our kid’s dopamine receptors before they can even talk properly. Sounds great.

Nikkerdoodle71 , Ketut Subiyanto / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
166points
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#6

32 New Trends That Are Doing A Lot Of Damage But Many People Don't Realize It Subscription models for every service. gone are the days of curated collections, now you own nothing.

Javaddict , Oscar Nord / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
162points
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If you’re going to follow every single trend, you’re going to end up utterly exhausted. Whether we’re talking about fashion, content, or entertainment, trends are flashing by us quicker than ever. We live in a heavily interconnected world. 5.44 billion people around the world use the internet, of which 5.07 billion are social media users, according to Statista. With so many users and different ideas, opinions, and online activity, which get seen and iterated on by others, trends pop up and get replaced incredibly quickly. 

So, unless you aim to be at the cutting edge of trends all the time (e.g., you’re a famous content creator or reviewer and your livelihood depends on this), it’s better to aim for long(er)-lasting trends or to ignore most of the ‘noise’ and do what feels right to you.
#7

32 New Trends That Are Doing A Lot Of Damage But Many People Don't Realize It Normalizing plastic surgery, fillers and botox for teens.

pursuitoffruit , cottonbro studio / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
152points
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#8

32 New Trends That Are Doing A Lot Of Damage But Many People Don't Realize It Instagram tourism. We’re trashing beautiful places because we gotta have THAT photo!

DangerousMusic14 , Tim Gouw / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
142points
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#9

32 New Trends That Are Doing A Lot Of Damage But Many People Don't Realize It The "Alpha male" and red pill ideology popular in groups of men and teenagers.

TYPICALASIAN21 , ANIRUDH / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
137points
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Of course, before you commit to any trend, make sure to do your research. Take your time, and don’t rush into anything! Especially if you plan on testing out some hyped-up diet or workout. A diet that might work for one person might have adverse effects for someone else with different genes and lifestyle. Similarly, a random workout isn’t going to give you a six-pack in ten days, no matter what you’re promised. Remember your own workout goals and go from there. Be very careful where your health is concerned.

Don’t drastically change your life just because you’re scared you won’t be as cool as your friends. If you want to be trendy, be trendy, but do that from a position of confidence, not fear. And, let’s be honest, you should consider the people in your social circle who follow these trends: do they commit to one of them or do they bounce to whatever’s the most popular?

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#10

32 New Trends That Are Doing A Lot Of Damage But Many People Don't Realize It Using ‘therapy speak’ to justify toxic behavior. It’s making it difficult for people with actual issues being taken seriously when someone who has likely never seen a therapist uses medical terminology to explain why they’re allowed to be a******s in public.

bradlee_scott , SHVETS production / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
121points
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de-snoekies avatar
Alexandra
Alexandra
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The problem with any kind of 'speak' is that when it's used so frequently and in ways it's not meant to be used that it loses its meaning and people will tune out.

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Tanya Mattson
Tanya Mattson
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What bothers me is when a person commits a crime, they're guilty as f**k but in sentencing them consideration is given to their mental problems and they end up with a light to no sentence in a lot of cases.

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Feathered Dinosaur
Feathered Dinosaur
Community Member
6 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That asshöle celebrity (forgot his name) who told his girlfriend this like 'you disrespect my personal boundaries by talking to other guys'

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Sunny Day
Sunny Day
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Used to be, a diagnosis was a tool - now we have an idea for fixing the issue or working around it. Nowadays a diagnosis is just an excuse for letting your freak flag fly. "Yes, I was mooning the senior citizens home. But it's OK, I have ______"

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Nimitz
Nimitz
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I work with several people who describe themselves as having "first player/main character syndrome"... No honey, you're just a narcissist who only thinks of yourself and you're toxic af.

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D0C
D0C
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Funnily enough, calling someone a narcissist also falls under this.

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Shane S
Shane S
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A common one is claiming something imperfect activates your OCD, when you don’t have clinical OCD.

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Theora Fifty-five Johnson
Theora Fifty-five Johnson
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sadly, too many inadequate therapists teach people harmful nonsense. and too many junk articles.

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Just-4-2day
Just-4-2day
Community Member
6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

People claiming to "be on the spectrum" as an excuse for being jerks.

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#11

32 New Trends That Are Doing A Lot Of Damage But Many People Don't Realize It House rentals (corporations, AirBnB) taken too far — when a community ends up with scant actual residents….

Terrible-Opinion-888 , cottonbro studio Report

Final score:
118points
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#12

32 New Trends That Are Doing A Lot Of Damage But Many People Don't Realize It Plastic lawns: bio diversity loss, micro plastic fibres, turning reality into Minecraft.

johnmacbromley , Perfect Grass / flickr (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
111points
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Previously, Bored Panda got in touch with historian Dr. Jane Nicholas from St. Jerome’s University at the University of Waterloo, who shared her thoughts on social media and the desire to look beautiful. According to her, seeking ‘perfection’ has long been sold as something attainable; it’s nothing new. There’s a semi-hidden suggestion that we can look ‘perfect’ if we try harder or spend more money.

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“Many cosmetics, for example, promise the ability to achieve a certain look with their use. Social media is driven by different, more individual forces than traditional media, but it is caught up in many of the same patterns, specifically selling goods,” she told us during an earlier interview.
#13

32 New Trends That Are Doing A Lot Of Damage But Many People Don't Realize It Helicopter parenting. Kids grow up unable to problem solve, self-soothe, make decisions, meet new people, communicate with bosses or professors, just basic stuff. I know parents who won't let their kids learn to drive because they think 16 is too young. But at 18 they're going to punt these kids off to college who have been told their whole lives that every stranger wants to kidnap, rape, or murder them, that walking after dark is life-threatening, and now they're going to room with a stranger, on a campus full of strangers, and walk to and from class, sometimes after dark. There's a reason so many young adults have anxiety disorders. I know people in their 20s who have panic attacks when faced with calling to make a doctor appointment.

_chronicbliss_ , Caleb Oquendo / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
105points
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#14

32 New Trends That Are Doing A Lot Of Damage But Many People Don't Realize It One trend that's gaining momentum and potentially causing harm is "doomscrolling." This is to the habit of endlessly scrolling through negative news or social media feeds, often leading to feelings of anxiety, depression, and helplessness.

Chemical-Funny-7598 , Adrian Swancar / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
98points
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#15

32 New Trends That Are Doing A Lot Of Damage But Many People Don't Realize It Water in plastic bottles.

blueskies1800 , Jonathan Chng / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
98points
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According to the historian, the trends that we see these days may actually be continuations of previous trends or reactions to them. So, if you know your history, you might just see certain trends make comebacks under a slightly different name and in different packaging. 

What new trends do you personally think are the most damaging, dear Pandas? On the flip side, do you think that there are any trends that have been genuinely good for society? What trends do you personally follow, whether consciously or unconsciously? If you have a moment, share your thoughts in the comments.
#16

32 New Trends That Are Doing A Lot Of Damage But Many People Don't Realize It Posting everything on social media.

I used to post a lot on stories on Instagram, Whatsapp, at some point I started to think that no one actually cares what I post and it's pointless for me, so I stopped. I was checking who saw those posts, got annoyed when someone I didn't like watched my stories. Now I don't post on social media anymore and I'm happier.

Paulvasile48 , Magnus Mueller / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
96points
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#17

32 New Trends That Are Doing A Lot Of Damage But Many People Don't Realize It Kids rarely spending significant time outdoors. On a minor note they're more likely to become nearsighted. On a significant note, they're less likely to be emotionally stable for times of adversity as an adult.

Whirlwindofjunk , Keren Fedida / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
90points
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#18

32 New Trends That Are Doing A Lot Of Damage But Many People Don't Realize It Short videos ruining attention spans .

MetalKeirSolid , Karolina Grabowska / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
89points
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#19

32 New Trends That Are Doing A Lot Of Damage But Many People Don't Realize It Parasocial relationships with celebrities.

Swifties, Beyhive, Barbz etc.

Myfourcats1 , Vinícius Caricatte / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
89points
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#20

32 New Trends That Are Doing A Lot Of Damage But Many People Don't Realize It “Hauls” of just about anything. It’s incredibly wasteful and I imagine most influencers who do so can’t use all of that product before they’re pressured to make more content. Plus it encourages normal people to do the same, leading to lots of plastic waste and demand for cheap, unethical labor.

_artbabe95 , RDNE Stock project / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
87points
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#21

32 New Trends That Are Doing A Lot Of Damage But Many People Don't Realize It Celebrity tequila. More specifically the process of hydrolysis that use young agave plants instead of mature agave plants, creating a neutral alcohol that is then flavored with additives. This brings the price of agave up and customers are given an artificial tequila rather than traditionally made tequila that uses agave plants matured for 7 years.

encab91 , Scott Tobin / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
77points
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#22

32 New Trends That Are Doing A Lot Of Damage But Many People Don't Realize It Sephora kids using skincare with acids and retinol.

RedRosValkyrie , Saher Suthriwala / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
76points
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#23

32 New Trends That Are Doing A Lot Of Damage But Many People Don't Realize It Airpods in constantly. I have a feeling in 20 years we're going to see a lot of hearing damage in people too young to have it.

AlanStanwick1986 , Jackson Simmer / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
73points
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#24

32 New Trends That Are Doing A Lot Of Damage But Many People Don't Realize It Buccal fat removal.

YayMehNay , cottonbro studio / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
70points
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#25

32 New Trends That Are Doing A Lot Of Damage But Many People Don't Realize It Steroid use is becoming increasingly popular among teenage boys and young men. Social media is feeding them metric tons of fitfluencers that lie about their steroid use, feeding into the "why can't I be like them" pipeline that ends up with them hopping on. Hell, a few months into weightlifting myself and I was literally getting ads for steroids right on Reddit. Some years from now, I guarantee we'll start seeing these boys grow with serious health issues from using steroids at a very vulnerable age.

Tracker007 , Dollar Gill / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
70points
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#26

32 New Trends That Are Doing A Lot Of Damage But Many People Don't Realize It Trading most of our privacy in exchange for convenience.

JadedBrit , Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
68points
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#27

32 New Trends That Are Doing A Lot Of Damage But Many People Don't Realize It ChatGPT, I feel like I'm unable to produce a long coherent piece of text anymore and I spot this chatgpt kinda language on linkedin, resumes, product descriptions, everywhere.

GullibleRain1069 , Solen Feyissa / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
67points
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#28

32 New Trends That Are Doing A Lot Of Damage But Many People Don't Realize It The rise of sports gambling. A lot of people are going to lose a lot of money and in A few years it won’t be pretty when we know someone who has had their life destroyed by another addiction in their pocket.

MrMeesesPieces , Karolina Grabowska / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
66points
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#29

32 New Trends That Are Doing A Lot Of Damage But Many People Don't Realize It The disappearance of child friendly spaces online, *especially* for girls. Remember when toys like barbie and poly pocket had websites filled with games where you could dress up characters or do makeovers? Design a dream bedroom? They literally don't exist anymore. I've noticed a growing issue with young girls having no safe spaces online anymore where they can just be kids, leading to them trying to fit in by copying older teen/adult activities like *makeup tutorials* and get-ready-with-me videos, growing up far too quick. Literally saw a kid who was like 12 apply foundation while talking about s**t like some beauty influencer.

squid_with_a_laptop , Thomas Park / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
64points
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#30

32 New Trends That Are Doing A Lot Of Damage But Many People Don't Realize It Veneers from unlicensed veneer techs.

DisplayName212 , Karolina Grabowska / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
48points
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#31

Internet addiction, just look at the paste 3 decades and noticed some of those people spent over 20 years in front of a screen going on the internet most of the day.

avalonMMXXII Report

Final score:
36points
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#32

Wegozy and Ozempic. Yes they help weight loss but you have to continue to use them for life or you just gain the weight back.

SomeHungGuy69 Report

Final score:
34points
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