16 Pop Culture Fads That Disappeared Overnight
Pop culture moves at lightning speed, with trends rising and falling faster than ever before. Some fads manage to stick around long enough to become part of our collective memory, while others burn bright for a few months before vanishing completely.
These flash-in-the-pan phenomena often capture the zeitgeist perfectly, yet they’re forgotten almost as quickly as they arrived. Looking back at these vanished trends reveals how fickle our cultural attention can be, though it also shows how certain moments can define entire generations.
Here is a list of 16 pop culture fads that disappeared overnight.
Planking
The art of lying face-down in unusual places became a global obsession around 2011 — with people planking on everything from park benches to skyscrapers. Social media feeds were filled with photos of friends lying rigid as boards in increasingly creative locations, while the trend spread from Australia to every corner of the internet.
The fad died almost as quickly as it started when people moved on to newer forms of social media performance, though it paved the way for countless other photo-based challenges.
Harlem Shake Videos
Baauer’s electronic track spawned thousands of copycat videos in early 2013 — each following the same formula of one person dancing alone before the whole room erupted in chaos. Office workers, college students, and even military units created their own versions, while the meme dominated YouTube for several weeks straight.
The trend burned out within months as creators exhausted the format’s possibilities, yet it demonstrated how quickly a simple concept could spread across the globe.
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Pokémon Go Mania
The summer of 2016 belonged entirely to Pokémon Go — as millions of people wandered streets with their phones, hunting virtual creatures in real locations. Parks were filled with crowds of players, while businesses capitalized on nearby PokeStops to draw customers.
The initial frenzy lasted only a few months before player numbers dropped dramatically, though the game continues with a smaller but dedicated fanbase.
Gangnam Style Dominance
Psy’s ridiculous horse-riding dance took over the world in 2012 — becoming the first YouTube video to hit one billion views. Everyone from talk show hosts to world leaders attempted the signature moves, while the Korean pop star appeared on every major television program.
The song’s global domination lasted about six months before audiences moved on to the next viral sensation, yet it opened doors for K-pop’s later mainstream success.
Ice Bucket Challenge
The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge of 2014 combined charity fundraising with social media spectacle — as celebrities and regular people dumped freezing water over their heads. The campaign raised over $100 million for ALS research while creating countless viral videos, though it also sparked debates about performative activism.
The challenge faded by the end of summer, yet it established a template for cause-related viral campaigns that continues today.
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Fidget Spinner Craze
These simple spinning toys became the must-have item of 2017 — with kids and adults alike obsessing over different designs and tricks. Schools banned them for being too distracting, while stores couldn’t keep them in stock during the peak months.
The craze collapsed almost overnight when summer ended, leaving warehouses full of unsold spinners and proving how quickly toy trends can shift.
Flappy Bird Obsession
Dong Nguyen’s impossibly difficult mobile game became a global phenomenon in early 2014 — frustrating millions of players who couldn’t stop trying to guide a pixel bird through green pipes. The game’s brutal difficulty created an addictive loop that had people playing for hours, while its creator earned $50,000 per day from advertising.
Nguyen removed the game after just a few weeks due to the overwhelming attention, turning it into an instant piece of digital history.
Macarena Madness
Los Del Rio’s Spanish dance song conquered America in 1996 — with everyone from wedding guests to baseball fans performing the synchronized moves. The dance became so ubiquitous that it played at every social gathering, while the song topped charts for weeks.
The phenomenon lasted about a year before people grew tired of the repetitive routine, though it remains a nostalgic touchstone for ’90s culture.
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Tamagotchi Fever
These digital pets demanded constant attention in the late 1990s — with kids feeding, cleaning, and nurturing their tiny virtual creatures throughout the day. Schools struggled with students checking their Tamagotchis during class, while the toys created genuine emotional attachments despite their simple pixelated graphics.
The initial craze lasted about two years before newer technology made the devices seem primitive, though they’ve experienced several nostalgic revivals.
Beanie Baby Mania
Ty’s small stuffed animals created one of the most intense collecting frenzies in history during the mid-1990s — with certain bears selling for thousands of dollars. Parents camped outside stores for limited releases, while secondary markets developed around rare specimens with manufacturing errors.
The bubble burst around 1999 when the market became oversaturated, leaving many collectors with worthless toys they’d paid premium prices for.
Flash Mob Phenomenon
Organized groups of strangers would suddenly break into choreographed performances in public spaces before dispersing just as quickly, creating surreal moments of coordinated chaos. Shopping malls, train stations, and parks became stages for these spontaneous performances that seemed to appear from nowhere.
The trend peaked in the mid-2000s before social media made organizing such events less mysterious and therefore less compelling.
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Rickrolling Era
The practice of tricking people into clicking links that led to Rick Astley’s ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ became the internet’s favorite prank around 2007. Forums, comment sections, and social media posts became minefields of potential Rickrolls, while the 1987 song gained new life with younger audiences.
The meme’s popularity declined as it became predictable, though it still surfaces occasionally as a nostalgic callback to simpler internet times.
Dabbing Craze
This simple gesture of dropping your head into your elbow while extending the other arm became the signature move of 2016, spreading from hip-hop culture to mainstream media. Athletes celebrated with dabs, politicians awkwardly attempted the move, and kids incorporated it into everyday gestures.
The trend faded within months as it became associated with trying too hard to be cool, yet it perfectly captured that year’s social media culture.
Bottle Flipping Phenomenon
The simple act of flipping a plastic water bottle and landing it upright became an obsession in 2016, particularly among teenagers looking for something to do with their hands. Schools banned the practice due to noise and distraction, while social media was filled with increasingly elaborate trick shots.
The trend disappeared almost as quickly as it started when novelty wore off, though it demonstrated how the simplest activities could become viral sensations.
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Slime Making Boom
DIY slime creation exploded across social media platforms around 2017, with millions of videos showing different recipes and techniques for making the gooey substance. Kids emptied store shelves of glue and shaving cream, while parents dealt with the inevitable messes and ruined furniture.
The trend peaked during summer break before school schedules reduced the time available for slime experiments, though it introduced many young people to basic chemistry concepts.
Among Us Takeover
The simple murder mystery game became a global phenomenon in 2020 when pandemic lockdowns left people searching for ways to connect remotely. Streamers, celebrities, and friend groups all embraced the social deduction gameplay, while ‘sus’ entered everyday vocabulary.
The game’s popularity crashed within months as new entertainment options emerged, yet it provided a perfect outlet for social interaction during an isolating time.
The Speed of Cultural Change
These vanished fads remind us how quickly our collective attention moves from one trend to the next, often leaving behind only memories and embarrassing photos. What seems like the most important thing in the world one day can feel completely irrelevant just months later, yet each of these moments captured something genuine about the time when they flourished.
The internet has accelerated this cycle of cultural birth and death, creating a landscape where trends can explode and vanish faster than ever before.
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