Trends come and go, but regret is forever. Just ask anyone who spent a chunk of the early 2010s planking in public for attention. Now social media is looking ahead and predicting which current trends will make us cringe the hardest a decade from now. This time, people took it way more seriously, and the list goes well beyond goofy challenges.
Here are the modern trends people are convinced we’ll all regret later.
- Putting your entire life on the internet
Oversharing feels normal now, but people are already worried that the worst posts, arguments, and bad takes will resurface years later, often at the worst possible time. - Filming kids’ worst moments for clout
Tantrums, punishments, and embarrassing meltdowns might get views today, but many think those videos will come back to haunt both parents and kids. - Bullying teachers out of the profession
People fear we’re chasing educators away and then acting shocked when schools struggle to keep qualified teachers around. - Devaluing craftsmanship
Fast, cheap, and disposable has become the default, and many think we’ll regret losing appreciation for skill, quality, and things built to last. - Getting advice from TikTok influencers
From medical tips to legal advice, trusting viral videos over actual experts feels like a bad long-term plan. - Cosmetic surgeries and procedures
Buccal fat removal came up a lot, with people predicting it will age very poorly as faces naturally change over time. - Face tattoos
Enough said. - Giving kids unlimited access to technology
People worry we’ll look back and wonder why we handed over screens without limits and hoped for the best. - Letting kids run the household
A lot of commenters asked when parents got so soft and predicted this trend will backfire hard. - Giving kids truly terrible names
Unique is one thing. Unpronounceable or career limiting is another. - Letting go of privacy
Many feel we gave up personal privacy way too easily and won’t fully understand the consequences until it’s too late. - Sending DNA to random companies
Mailing off genetic info now feels casual, but people suspect future regret once that data spreads. - Over-reliance on AI
Using AI for letters, essays, and schoolwork worries people who think it could weaken real skills over time. - Anti-intellectualism
Dismissing expertise and education altogether feels like something future generations won’t be proud of. - The explosion of sports betting
Easy access and constant ads have people predicting serious long-term fallout. - Having an OnlyFans
Not judging, just predicting regret when digital footprints never disappear. - The “Broccoli” haircut
Every generation gets at least one hairstyle they swear they never had. - Buying NFTs
Enough time has passed that this one is already aging badly. - Buying Cybertrucks
People are not confident this one will hold up as well as promised. - Painting every wall gray
This one feels fixable with a paint roller, but apparently the internet has spoken.
Ten years from now, we may look back at all of this the same way we look at planking. With confusion, embarrassment, and a strong desire to pretend it never happened.