Facebook Predicts the Next Big Trends

Based on US Facebook internal data from June 2015-2016, Facebook and Adweek have worked together to analyse our chatter to tell us what we’re already talking about, and what we’re probably going to be talking about for a while. They use the ‘kale’ model – if talk about a topic looks anything like what it did about that famous green, leafy stuff, it’s going to be big.

If you have anything to do with the advertising community, or want to bring more people to whatever online platform you have, Facebook’s ‘Topics to Watch’ is a great tool to use to stay in the loop.

Here’s what it told us we were still talking about last month:

1. Science
The topic that has seen the biggest growth in popularity, multiplying its popularity from last year by 31, is do-it-yourself biology. It’s talked about mostly by men aged 25-50, and is related to terms such as “biophysics” and “NASA”. It may seem a little strange to some, but a quick Google shows just how big this community of at-home scientists is becoming.  Forget binge-watching Netflix, the internet has found a hobby that might actually be worthwhile.

2. History of the Internet
Having grown in popularity by seven times since last year, more people are showing an interest in the history of the thing they use every day. The internet has transformed our world so suddenly and dramatically, it’s no wonder we’re having a better look at how it all began. Interestingly, the biggest groups by far seen to be searching this are men in their late 30s and 40s, and millennial-aged women.

3. Photomontage
Proving itself to be hugely popular amongst women (with barely any involvement from men) are the terms ‘photomontage’, ‘dadaism’ (or anti-art), and ‘photo essay’. It saw an enormous spike in conversation volume last month, and is particularly talked about by Gen Xs and Baby Boomers. We’ve all got far too many photos piling up on our computers nowadays; this must mean it’s prime digital photo album making time.

4. Primer
We’re talking about the cosmetics kind here, not the paint kind. Which is why it’s unsurprising that male contribution to the discussion is practically non-existent in comparison to females. It’s been pretty steadily talked about this year, but with its huge increase in the last month, we’re wondering if primer is the next makeup essential (instead of the part of the makeup tutorial we just ignore).

5. Sashiko Stitching
It’s a form of decorative reinforcement stitching from Japan, before you ask. More a topic for the Boomers, it’s practically unheard of for Millennials, which isn’t a big surprise. Again, it’s a discussion group that women seem to be dominating. All of the men must be busy in their at-home biology labs.

6. Shrimp
And finally, the one you’ve all been waiting for – the next big food trend. Very nearly equally talked about by men and women, it has very loudly stomped its way onto the scene this month. Considering its related terms are “hamburger”, “taco,” and “avocado”, we’re sure that it’s showing a lot of promise, just as Bubba Blue predicted. There’s pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew…