January 2025’s Top Social Media Trends & Memes
And just like that…the first month of 2025 has flown by. 😅 With the first few weeks being filled with tragedy after tragedy, January certainly served as a pretty sobering start to the new year. In terms of the social media world, creators may have spent a little less time this month crafting spectacular new trends, and more time discussing the impending TikTok ban (which did happen, but then Trump said "LOL JK" or something). Despite the looming fear of losing their livelihood and/or favorite pastime, social media users made the most of the beginning of a new year with another round of entertaining content. Let’s dive into January 2025’s top trends and discover insights to keep up the good energy as we slide into a new year of social media madness.
#1: I Don’t Even Think You Really Know What a Bad Day Is… 😩
Starting off strong with a good movie moment, the meme gods (or rather TikTok user @eggo.vsp) gave us a clip from Russell Crowe’s 2020 film Unhinged, where he spouts off “I don’t even think you really know what a bad day is!” after having a very tense conversation with a driver who laid on the horn when he didn’t move at a green light.
Though this scene was anything but funny, creators quickly found a way to let this audio take flight after the original poster shared the clip with the caption, “Parents as soon as you mention the word 'stress.’” The results…well, they’re too good. Check them out below:
Disney Channel kids will appreciate this one:
Why it works:
New year, same story. We all have little inconveniences and/or deeply held trauma that comes to mind when we hear others complaining about their problems. This trend presented a perfect opportunity for creators to let their “inside thoughts” out and be a little selfish by making light of the things that bug/trigger them.
Creator To-Do:
Look for quick and easy social media trends like this one that require very limited recording and can easily conjure up multiple relatable ideas in your head. We all have bad days and we all possess shared or unshared grievances that would definitely feel good to get out in the open. Go ahead – overshare! The internet probably isn’t forever…
#2: You Know What… Hell Yeah! 🤷
This social media trend gets so many points for relatability, because we were personally cracking up the whole time we were looking for examples of it. TikTok creator @frankiebleau first created this masterpiece before the holidays and turned it into a shareable audio after another user asked for it. From there, the audio took off and spread around all throughout December, spilling over into our hearts in January. We have some insights we’re excited to share about why this trend worked so well. But first, here are some examples that had us “LOL”ing (in a cool way):
Why it works:
OK, so now for the good stuff! This trend is particularly special because of its duality. (Wow, big kid word.) Frankie’s tone has been perfectly translated two different ways, and now it has double the relatability depending on what you need to convey in your video. On the one hand, it’s the perfect way to show your excitement for something positively unexpected that happened to you (e.g. two extra nuggets in your “Happy Meal”, an undeserving tip out of misplaced sympathy, etc.). On the other hand, it can also communicate that humorously depleted sense of caring that occurs when one final inconvenience in a string of many sends you straight into delusion. Like, “Yeah, life is pointless. Send me a vague $4.99 charge, Apple. See if I care!”
Creator To-Do:
When you run into a new trend, take some time to think about any alternate meanings it has that you could capitalize on, and therefore stick out amidst the mass usage of the trend/audio. Social media is obviously so incredibly saturated with “trend this, trend that” that it can become overwhelming and a bit tired. Be bold in your content creation and do your best to find unique ways to participate in trend movements that are looking successful.
#3: 2025 Trend Reporting 📈
The next social media trend may be a little “meta” (no, not that Meta) because we’re talking about, uh, a trend about trends. That said, we must highlight one of the top types of content we saw in January: trend reporting. A multitude of aficionados, nerds and self-proclaimed experts took to social media to share their take on what’s in store for their industry in 2025. Here are some fun ones we came across:
Fashion:
This one is from late December 2024, but this design trend prediction video really gets the idea across:
Weddings:
Pop Culture:
Why it works:
We all love to seem knowledgeable and to talk about the future. That’s the tweet.
Creator To-Do:
While this opportunity doesn’t come around every month, we’d recommend staying on the lookout for ways you/your brand can capitalize on new beginnings – calendar years, seasons (looking at you fashion girlies), industry shifts, etc.
#4: DtMF by Bad Bunny 📸
One social media trend stood out to us as the kind of feel-good, tear-jerker type of content that really pulls at the heart strings. In early January, Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny released his new album DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS. The album’s title track, “DtMF”, quickly blew up on TikTok when users began sharing videos/photos paying tribute to their loved ones. The trend originated with many Spanish-speaking users due to the nature of the track, and was transformed into a collage-style CapCut template that took our FYPs by storm. Soon, the lyrics were translated into English and many English-speaking individuals began participating in the trend too, showing their appreciation for Benito’s beautifully written song.
Here are the lyrics that resonated with TikTokers the most in Spanish and English:
Debí tirar más fotos de cuando te tuve
Debí darte más beso' y abrazo' las vece' que pude
Ey, ojalá que los mío' nunca se muden
I should've taken more pictures when I had you
I should've given you more kisses and hugs whenever I could
Ayy, I hope my people never move away
Now I hope you wore your waterproof mascara today, because here are some examples of the trend:
Benito himself quickly caught wind of this trend and reacted to it with this TikTok (😭):
Following the hype around this song, Bad Bunny and Jimmy Fallon held a perfectly timed disguised busking session at a NYC subway station celebrating the new album. Needless to say, people were proudly and confidently yelling the lyrics to “DtMF” during the set, likely thanks in part to this trend.
Why it works:
This type of trend typically does well because it’s so easy to personalize. You and your loved ones are yours, and no one can take that from you. (If they do, that’s just weird.) CapCut templates are a simple, easy way to go if you don’t have enough time to piece together something like this.
Creator To-Do:
This trend may not be as relevant for many brands in terms of content creation, but can certainly be a good opportunity for community engagement. We saw many comments from large household name brands interacting with these emotional videos and thus positioning themselves as a trustworthy, feeling brand backed by human beings. Don’t be afraid to be a little vulnerable in your content creation and community engagement this next month. It can make a huge difference.
#5: TikTok Recaps 🥲
Hold on, let us grab some tissues… 🤧
OK, we’re back. WHEW. Sorry. *Deep breath*; we’re finally ready to talk about what was almost the end of an era. That is, TikTok being banned in the U.S. and then restored less than 24 hours later. Like we said earlier, between all of the terrible things that happened in January, U.S. creators spent most of their time online discussing the imminent demise of everyone’s favorite COVID pastime.
In true TikTok fashion, this of course led to the creation of many emotionally damaging yet hilarious, nostalgic edits and throwback videos. It was like the 2025 version of Vine compilations (IYKYK). Some of the OG TikTokers either switched their content strategy or simply came out of the woodwork to remind us of the post that made them into who they are now. Kinda wild.
Needless to say, the internet got a little sappy in January, and for good reason. TikTok was the start of many people’s careers, businesses, untapped passions, and more. The idea of it being banned created a mixture of emotions across a generational spectrum. Thankfully, the ban has been lifted (for now) and we plan to cherish TikTok in a whole new way as long as she is around. Here’s a mix of happy and sad content that wrecked us one way or another:
A cute, nostalgic one:
This one was such a ride. *Cries*:
Don't call. Don't text:
A moment for those OG TikTok sounds:
We had sweet recaps like this:
Why it works:
Few things unite us all like the common thread of social media. Now…don’t get us wrong; it does its share of damage, too. But, being able to create content that sparks joy or nostalgia in so many people from so many different walks of life is truly such a powerful thing.
Call-Out:
Learn to appreciate what was, and be open to what’s next. Even though TikTok was restored even quicker than it left, we know that most social media platforms aren’t forever. While we may not totally agree with the way things were handled with this situation, it did serve as a valuable lesson for brands and creators to learn how to be quick on their feet and know how/when to pivot toward new social media objectives.
So, anyways…
As we wrap up our exploration of January 2025’s standout social media trends, one thing is clear: the online world is very powerful and we who have come so accustomed to TikTok’s many positives are in for an interesting year. We hope you’ll take time to find valuable trends that are inspiring, entertaining, and efficient as you begin planning your next month of content.
Reminder: Award season is upon us, so be on the lookout for any ad hoc posting opportunities from the inevitable memes that are to come!
That’s all for now. Happy trending! ❤️
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