Hey everyone! For my passion blog, I have come to the blockade of picking between two very media-influenced topics: fashion trends/aesthetics and trending television shows. The form of media that I will be regularly referencing is TikTok, as most college students share an interest in the app. It has allowed many of us to form new styles, associate with specific political parties, and curate a grander sense of humor.
With that being said, a lot of our lifestyles have been impacted by this platform. The topic of fashion trends has expanded to ever-changing lengths. In the past, people were more accustomed to watching, from the sidelines, celebrities or models show off their seasonal styles. However, in the present day, a random sixteen-year-old has the power to set the wave on whether or not bangs are “in.” Furthermore, we have seen the growth in people associating particular styles and clothing with an aesthetic. Many influencers and users compare items to a vibe or begin to group them with a newly formed phrase. I don’t think many people in the 70s could sense that their clothing would become an eventual modern trend, or that the top one percent’s fashion would be known for its clean and “old money” charm. Given this new terminology, our generation has seemingly become more chronically online by the second. But hey, assimilation is a necessity in this world, one way or another.
The topic of Television has been something that has intrigued me for many years. I’m a big screenager when it comes to movies or TV shows, and a good binge has never hurt anyone. With access to comment sections and hashtags, many users have been able to find shows that they truly enjoy. Streaming platforms have immense power over the many younger generations. Any interest can be traced back to a show, documentary, or movie. With TikTok in hand, I have been able to expand my taste over the many TV genres. From wasting my time watching episodes of Gilmore Girls to reminiscing over shows such as PEN15, I have but TikTok to thank. With random “edits” of shows appearing on my For You Page, as well as snippets, I have found myself leaving the app to go check out a show for myself. The current trend of a show changes by the minute. More recently, I have noticed a great interest in business and law shows such as Suits or Succession. Although these shows essentially take us away from our quality time with the outside world, we can access it in our own homes. I know people who have picked specific majors because they were inspired by a certain character in a TV show. Shows such as Breaking Bad or The Summer I Turned Pretty, have not only provided entertainment to many individuals but specific news as well.
The platform of TikTok may have its controversies, but it has also been one of the main sources of inspiration as well as innovation for many a kind.
I like both of your topics and am excited for whichever one you chose. I appreciate that TikTok is one of your main sources of information; I think it will help you keep on track with what your audience (as of right now, three college students) are interested in.
As a baseline, I like how your two ideas are connected by a singular driving force: TikTok. But simply because of bias, I’d enjoy seeing how TikTok has simultaneously created rapid cultural change and the (re)popularization of past trends. Therefore, the fashion/aesthetics topic is more appealing to me, but you seem equally passionate about both, so the choice is truly yours.
I think that it is so cool that both of your ideas come from the same place, Tik Tok, yet they are so very different. If you wanted to talk about fashion and analyze modern fashion, I think that it would be a good idea to talk about how Tik Tok has led to the rise of fast fashion and how the fashion landscape has changed because of that. For the talking about T.V. shows idea, I wonder, are you going to talk about one show extensively, or the latest trending show each week, or something in between? I think that regardless of what you do it will be a good blog, though.