From style revolutions and new drink obsessions to unforgettable memes, 2025 was full of notable trends driven by internet culture. As 2026 begins, here’s a look back at the top 10 trends that defined teen culture and everyday life this past year.
1. Matcha Drinks
Matcha became the “it girl” drink of 2025. Iced matcha lattes kept in cozy cups were a morning staple for many, inspired by TikTok wellness videos and aesthetic cafe content. The matcha craze wasn’t solely driven by the drink’s taste, but also the fashionable vibe it carried. At the same time, matcha became the center of jokes, playing a key role in the performative male meme. Though many likened its taste to grass, even those who didn’t love the flavor tried it at least once just to be part of the trend, proving that the aesthetic of matcha was more about the vibe or look around it than the drink itself.
2. The Clean Girl Aesthetic
Slick back buns, neutral colors, and simple, clean makeup were everywhere this year. The “clean girl” aesthetic focused on looking effortlessly put together, with an emphasis on minimalism, polished hair, and subtle beauty rather than bold trends. Popularized by TikTok, Pinterest boards, and Instagram influencers, the look became a go-to style for everyday school outfits because it felt both low-maintenance and trendy at the same time.
3. “67”
Along with all the aesthetics, random memes and slang made their way into daily conversations. Notably, “67” left many adults confused and appeared constantly throughout the year in the classroom, music, and social media videos. The meme came from a song lyric and somehow turned into a joke with absolutely no meaning, which honestly made it even funnier. People said it just to say it, teachers overheard it, parents asked about it, and no one ever had a real explanation. What started as a “TikTok joke” quickly escaped the internet, with celebrities, influencers, and even politicians randomly dropping “67” in interviews like they totally knew what it meant. By the end of the year, it was basically impossible to avoid, and was even made Dictionary.com’s word of the year.
4. Adopting AI
AI apps rapidly became a major part of school and social life. Students used AI agents to help them study, organize notes, and understand tough topics. Beyond academics, AI also showed up in social media spaces, such as Snapchat AI, and other tools helping students brainstorm captions, edit photos, and create content for social media. Hate it or love it, AI was unavoidable in 2025.
5. Dubai Chocolate
Dubai chocolate was not only a trend in 2025, it was a must try. The fancy chocolate bar, filled with pistachio cream and crispy pastry-like layers, blew up on TikTok after mukbang videos made it look luxurious and oddly satisfying. The ASMR sounds of snapping the chocolate and crunching the filling helped the trend spread. Eventually it became mixed into memes with other viral items, like the Labubu, pointing to how overdone trends had become.
6. Bow Accessories and Polka Dots
Bows seemed to pop up everywhere this year, appearing on hair clips, bags, boots, jewelry, and even clothing details. Alongside bows, polka dots also made a strong comeback showing up on dresses, tops, skirts, and accessories. Both trends leaned into a softer, more feminine aesthetic that contrasted with previous years. TikTok and Pinterest helped drive their popularity, as outfit videos, Pinterest boards, and styling posts made bows and polka dots feel new and different.
7. Glowy Makeup & Nails
Last year’s beauty trends focused on shine and simplicity. Glass skin, jelly makeup, and glass nails were popular, offering a clean, dewy look that took over the influencer sphere. These trends originally came from Asian beauty routines, especially K-beauty, and were adapted by Western influencers and TikTok users, making the look accessible and trendy for teens everywhere.
8. Performative Male Epidemic
Another trend that couldn’t be ignored was the rise of the performative male lifestyle. Whether it was TikTok or Instagram, guys suddenly leaned into looks that felt more fake than casual. Think oversized tees tucked into baggy jeans, chunky sneakers, and those “soft boy” accessories like tote bags or wired headphones. Some called it an epidemic because it seemed like overnight millions of men were posing with matcha, practicing “effortless cool” poses, toting a feminist novel at their local library, or doing outfit videos. What started as an online joke and meme quickly became a real style wave with students playfully competing to see who could master the most performative look.
9. USC Ice Bucket Challenge
The University of South Carolina (USC) Ice Bucket Challenge became a noticeable trend in 2025 as students from the university promoted the challenge across social media to advocate for mental health awareness and suicide prevention. Similar to past ice bucket challenges, participants filmed themselves dumping buckets of ice water over their heads and nominating their close friends to do the same. The trend spread quickly throughout TikTok and Instagram, especially among students, clubs, and athletes, turning it into a shared worldwide moment.
10. Labubus
Labubus are a small plush toy known for their cute yet creepy oversized eyes and slightly eerie appearance. It became a trend after influencers and celebrities began attaching Labubus to bags, backpacks, and clothing, turning the toy into a fashion accessory rather than a children’s item. Social media helped spread its popularity as people started chanting Labubu repeatedly in posts to make it recognizable and desirable, almost like a cult. Labubu became more of an aesthetic surprise with tons of influencers hosting unboxings, making viewers want to achieve that aesthetic too. The question still remains, however, if labubu will stay in 2025 or continue into the next year.
Looking back, these trends shaped how 2025 will be remembered. Some may stick around, while others will become inside jokes that resurface from time to time. Either way, these trends made 2025 an unforgettable year.
