Lesson 1.
Recognizing Fads
Trends, Networks, and Critical Thinking in the 21st Century Culture
General Academic Strand | Humanities and Social Sciences
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In social media, the word
trending is used to describe
popular activities, events,
or personalities.
3
Many people nowadays participate
in trending challenges that they also
share with their connections.
4
A quick browse of a
social media timeline
would reveal that new
challenges emerge as old
ones reach their peak.
5
Learning
Competency
Differentiate a trend from a fad
(HUMSS_MCT12-Ia-b-3).
6
Learning
Objectives
● Describe the elements and characteristics
of a fad.
● Differentiate a trend from a fad.
● Analyze the connection between trends and
fads.
7
Never Have I Ever
Let’s
Connect
The table on the next slide lists seven activities
on social media that have the consequence of
making a phenomenon viral. Put a checkmark in
column A if you are familiar with the activity and
do the same in column B if you have done it
before.
8
Never Have I Ever
Let’s A B SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVITY
Connect
posting a meme
using a viral hashtag
sending or sharing a chain message
doing a social media dance challenge
participating in other social media challenges
tagging friends to do a social media challenge
changing the frame of your social media display picture 9
1. Based on the activity, what is the meaning
Let’s of virality in social media?
Connect
10
2. Why do people participate in viral
Let’s activities on social media?
Connect
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3. How do you decide if you will post, share,
Let’s or perform a viral activity on social media?
Connect
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Essential
Question
How can you determine if a phenomenon is
a trend or a fad?
13
Trends vs. Fads
● commonly used interchangeably to describe popular
practices
● two different concepts in the social sciences
14
A Fad as a Collective Behavior
● unstructured
● popular
● performed without other
people’s compulsion
15
Kinds of Fads (Miller 2013)
● useful product
● novelty product
● activity fad
Brewing dalgona coffee became
popular during the COVID-19
lockdown.
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Examples of Fads
Jelly Shoes Bobblehead Ice Bucket
(Useful Product) (Novelty Product) Challenge
(Activity Fad) 17
Check Your
Progress
Is online education a fad? If it is, what kind of
fad is it?
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Elements of a Fad
Appeal A fad captures the attention of many people.
Purpose
Impact
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Elements of a Fad
Appeal
Purpose A fad is not necessarily useless.
Impact
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Elements of a Fad
Appeal
Purpose
Impact A fad has effects at the individual, group,
and societal
levels.
21
Analyzing a Fad: Planking
● Appeal: evolved to become a
popular form of protest
● Purpose: expresses a demand
(not simply a nuisance activity)
● Impact: may force the
government to act on an issue
22
Characteristics of a Fad
● perceived novelty and/or strangeness
● short life span
● limited scope
● heterogeneity
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Characteristics of a Fad
Perceived novelty and/or
strangeness
People tend to be attracted to
new or strange products and
experiences.
Novelty is achieved by redesigning
a product.
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Characteristics of a Fad
Short Life Span
The popularity of a fad
decreases after the saturation
point has been reached.
Game developers keep updating
features to continuously hook
players.
25
Characteristics of a Fad
Limited Scope
A fad is influential only to a
segment of the population.
A new diet fad may only be
popular among the middle class.
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Characteristics of a Fad
Heterogeneity
People and organizations
adopt fads in different
ways.
Businesses do not simply
copy management fads.
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Differentiating Trends from Fads
Areas of Comparison
● life span
● popularity
● impact to society
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Differentiating Trends from Fads
Trends Fads
exists for a long exists only for a short
period of time period of time
may be unknown to extremely popular
many people
have impacts that have minimal or
endure over time negligible impacts
29
Differentiating Trends from Fads
Trends Fads
exists for a long period exists only for a short
of time period of time
may be unknown to extremely popular
many people
have impacts that have minimal or
endure over time negligible impacts
30
Differentiating Trends from Fads
Trends Fads
exists for a long period exists only for a short
of time period of time
may be unknown to extremely popular
many people
have impacts that have minimal or
endure over time negligible impacts
31
Check Your
Progress
Why is it important to know the difference
between a trend and a fad?
32
Modified True or False. Write true if the statement is
Try This! correct. Otherwise, write the correct term or phrase
that needs to replace the underlined word.
1. A fad increases in its appeal when people
reach the saturation point.
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Modified True or False. Write true if the statement is
Try This! correct. Otherwise, write the correct term or phrase
that needs to replace the underlined word.
2. A fad has a relatively shorter life span
compared to a trend.
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Modified True or False. Write true if the statement is
Try This! correct. Otherwise, write the correct term or phrase
that needs to replace the underlined word.
3. Reinventing a product or practice leads
people to believe that a fad is an entirely
new phenomenon.
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Modified True or False. Write true if the statement is
Try This! correct. Otherwise, write the correct term or phrase
that needs to replace the underlined word.
4. People engage in a fad in similar ways consistent
with the heterogeneous characteristic.
36
Modified True or False. Write true if the statement is
Try This! correct. Otherwise, write the correct term or phrase
that needs to replace the underlined word.
5. Novelty products are useful in performing
everyday activities.
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● A fad is an example of collective behavior that
Wrap-
Up attracts a segment of a population for a short
period.
● There are three kinds of fads, according to Miller
(2013): (1) useful products, (2) novelty products,
and (3) activity fads.
● The elements of a fad refer to its appeal,
purpose, and impact.
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Wrap-
Up ● A fad can be identified based on the following
characteristics: (1) perceived novelty and/or
strangeness, (2) short life span, (3) limited
scope, and (4) heterogeneity.
● The emergence of a fad is traceable to a
prevailing trend in society.
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Wrap-
Up
40
Challenge
1. Discuss the purpose, appeal, and impact of a
Yourself fad that you have tried doing (activity fad) or
using (useful/novel product).
2. Analyze the connection between the fad you
identified in the previous item and the trend
that influenced its emergence.
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Photo Credit
Slide no. 17: Red jellies on a red bath mat by TheOnlyAnla who is taking a break until her math t is licensed under
CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons; Mission Accomplished - ALS Ice Bucket Challenge by Anthony Quintano
licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Flickr.
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Bibliography
Abrahamson, Eric, and Micki Eisenman. "Employee-management Techniques: Transient Fads or Trending Fashions?"
Administrative Science Quarterly 53, no. 4 (2008), 719-744. doi:10.2189/asqu.53.4.719.
Aguirre, B. E., E. L. Quarantelli, and Jorge L. Mendoza. "The Collective Behavior of Fads: The Characteristics, Effects,
and Career of Streaking." American Sociological Review 53, no. 4 (1988), 569. doi:10.2307/2095850.
Andrade, Jeannette I., and TJ Burgonio. "‘Die-ins’ Yesterday, ‘Planking’ Today." INQUIRER.net. Last modified
September 20, 2011.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/61483/%E2%80%98die-ins%E2%80%99-yesterday-%E2%80%98planking%E2%
80%99-today
.
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Bibliography
Barkan, Steven E. "Chapter 21: Collective Behavior and Social Movements." In Sociology: Understanding and Changing
the Social World. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing, 2016.
https://open.lib.umn.edu/sociology/part/chapter-21-collective-behavior-and-social-movements/.
Mangosing, Frances, Jamie Elona, and Julliane Love De Jesus, Kristine Angeli Sabillo, Matikas Santos. "Hundreds of
Thousands Join People’s March Against Pork Barrel." INQUIRER.net. Last modified August 26, 2013.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/475165/tens-of-thousands-join-peoples-march-against-pork-barrel.
Miller, David L. "Fads and Fashion." In Introduction to Collective Behavior and Collective Action, 3rd ed., 195-228. Long
Grove: Waveland Press, 2013.
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