Smash Boom Best presents: Brains On - What's the deal with trends?

Hi friends, it's me, Molly. We are currently working on the next season of Smash Boom West and we cannot wait for you to hear it, but in the meantime, we have this episode of Brains On to share with you. I also host Brains On. It's a show where we answer our audience's questions and this episode is all about something I'm guessing lots of you are curious about, which is what's the deal with trends? So enjoy the episode and we will be back in your feed in May with new episodes of Smash Boom West. You're listening to Brains On, where we're serious about being curious. Brains On is supported in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Hey Molly, hey Harlan. Hi Mark. Wanna try some dried guava? Oh sure, that sounds... Whoa, nice pants Mark. What, these? Well thanks. As you know, I've been learning to dry fruit and I think I finally got it down. Check it out. I made rubbery apples, chewy cherries, not worthy nectarines, plastic... Amazing, is that papaya on your pants? What? Oh yeah, yeah. While I was tinkering in the kitchen, I accidentally tore a hole in the knee of my pants so I hot glued some dried fruit slices to fix it. So, which leathery fruit snack do you wanna try first? Whoa, the strawberries on your shins are so iconic. Oh, and are those blueberries on the butt? Turn around again and let me see. Yeah, yeah, strawberries on the shins, blueberries on the butt, mangoes on the cuffs. Look, I tore up my pants real good, chopping and slicing and shredding all this fruit. I didn't have time to put on new ones so I just patched them with whatever was around, which happened to be dried fruit. I don't see why this is such a big deal. Ooh, can I have some of those dried kiwis? Of course, finally. I was hoping you'd try some... Look, I stapled kiwis on my cargo pants. Now I'm wearing fruit pants too. So cool, do me next. I want those dried orange slices on my sweats. You're all missing the point. These are snacks for eating, not for decorating your denim. Ooh, good idea, Mark. Let's put some jackfruit on our jeans. We're gonna look so good. You're listening to Brains On from APM Studios. I'm your host, Molly Bloom, and my co-host today is Harlan from San Diego, California. Hi, Harlan. Hi, Molly and I are both wearing fruit pants today. Mine are cherry covered chinos. And I have bell bottoms bedazzled with blackberries. They look great, and I always have a snack handy. Fruit pants are so in right now. Berry and vogue. That's a French term meaning hip and trendy. Which is great because trendy is the topic du jour. That's French for of the day. Oh, speaking of fruit pants, I made these for you. Persimmon parachute pants. Thanks, Molly. Just a little something I whipped up in le garage. That's French for the garage. Anyway, like I said, today we're talking trends and answering a question from you, Harlan. My question is, how do trends start? So how would you describe a trend? I would describe it as one person does it and then more and more people do. Very good description. So there are a couple definitions of the word trend, but today we're talking about a style, a fad, or some behavior that gets popular among a group of people. So Harlan, what made you think of this question? I was scrolling on Instagram with my mom and my mom was like, ooh, these ruffled socks are a trend. I was like, ooh, what does a trend mean? And she was like, well, we could ask Brains on. I was like, okay. Nice. Ruffled socks started this whole episode. So what are some trends that you've seen at your school? Probably the baggy pants. Yes. Do you like to wear baggy pants too? Yes. They're comfy, right? Yeah, they're like really comfortable. So are there any trends that you used to be into that maybe you're not anymore? I used to need all the stuffies in the world. Oh, yes. And are there any trends that have happened at your school that you're not a fan of that you're like, no, no, no, I'm not gonna do that. The tight shirts. Ah, yes. So the look that a lot of people are wearing is a tight shirt with baggy pants. Yeah. And so the tight shirt is not for you. No. So what do you wear instead of a tight shirt? I wear baggy shirt, baggy pants, or baggy shirt, and then tight leggings. Nice. So you're like, as long as the shirt is baggy, you're a happy camper. Yeah. Well, listeners, we asked you to tell us what you thought would make a good trend. And here are some answers you sent in. I think that my trend would be everyone would wear their blankets on as clothes and like, clip them together. And I wanted to start a trend where humans and pets wear matching ball gowns and suits. And my trend would be if people started listening to music backwards. A trend I would like to start is everybody wearing one midden and one glove. Hey, I think a cool trend would be buying pants that are too small for you. But then in between the legs, you just cut a small hole for your head and then you put it on like a crop top. I think the trend for 2025 should be making stuffies out of recycled trash. What I think a trend will be in the future is people carrying squishies around. So they would do a makeover on a squishy. But they would make it their personality and they would carry their personality squishy anywhere. Hee hee. I love all of those. Thanks to Jenna, Ellie, Julian, Cormac, Anya, Eloise, and Caroline for looking into their crystal balls. Well, the fun thing about trends is that they come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Yeah, there are big trends, like whether it's in two, part your hair on the side or in the middle. Or things like fidget spinners, friendship bracelets. What kind of jeans you wear? These are all big trends that lots of people around the country will know about. There are also small trends, like the ones that happen in just your school. Like if your friends start giving high fives with the back of your hand and it spreads to your whole grade. Backhand high five. Wow, that is surprisingly satisfying. But no matter the size of the trend, they usually spread in a similar way. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Sandin, you didn't even hear what we said. How do you know it's wrong? What? No, I meant the decor in here. If I'm going to explain how trends spread, I cannot do it in a room with, what is that, beige wallpaper? A team? Fix this. Wait, that desk is important. Do we really need that many couch pillows? That's good. Yes, yes. Love it, love it, love it. I'm going to marry it. Wait, excuse me, is that a peach fuzz pink throw blanket? Don't you dare. I am not letting last year's Pantone color of the year in this place. It's this year's color, mocha moose brown, or it's nothing. Now that is much better. There, now I can talk. Hi, Molly. Hi, Harlan. Backwards five. You know it, Sandin. Wow, OK. It does look pretty good in here now. Obviously. Now, trends usually get popular in a certain way. In the 1960s, there was a sociologist named Roger Everett. A sociologist is someone who studies how humans behave in groups. Roger was interested in how new ideas and new technologies spread, and he noticed a pattern. Eventually, he came up with a theory or an idea of how trends spread. It's called the diffusion of innovation theory. Oh, I read about this when I was getting ready to co-host this episode. Diffusion means to spread, and innovation is something new. So the diffusion of innovation theory is an idea about how new things spread. Exactly. Now, the thing about trends is there's no real science to starting them. Lots of businesses and creators have tried to make things go viral. But usually, it just falls flat. There has to be a spark, a certain je ne sais quoi. Oh, that's French for it. I don't know what. Yeah, I don't know what that's French for either. I just know without it a fad is a flop. But according to the diffusion of innovation theory, there's a certain kind of person who usually starts a trend. All right, they're called innovators. Innovators are people who like to try new things. They're creative, inventive, and importantly, they're willing to take risks. Often, these are artists or fashion designers, but they can also be just a really creative kid who thinks differently. So when Mark invented fruit pants, he was sort of acting like an innovator, even though it was kind of by accident. Yeah, by fixing his pants with the dried fruit, he tried something new. Yep, it took creativity. And it was risky. Right, because it might have looks silly instead of super stylish. That's as correct as pairing chunky loafers with frilly socks. That means. It means very correct. But it's not enough for an innovator to come up with an idea for a new trend. The trend also needs to catch on, which brings us to the next step of. The diffusion of innovation theory. Next, an idea is picked up by a group called the early adopters. Early adopters are people who have their fingers on the pulse of what's cool and new. Right, they don't invent new trends, but they're quick to jump on them. And they're good at sensing which trends have staying power and which will quickly fizzle out. That's why lots of other people often take their advice from early adopters about what's cool. Sounds like an influencer on social media. Very much like that. Influencers can make a career out of sharing the right trends at the right time. Hey, fashion fam. Miles here. I just had to hype my latest find. Two words, fruit pants. Yeah, they're pants with fruit slices. So fun. They go with any outfit and people will literally light up when they see these puppies on you. I just got a pair. I mean, I got a pair with a pair. I mean, I got a pair of pants with a pair fruit on it. You know what I mean. Best part, a pair of pair of pants pairs with practically anything. Ooh, I want a pair of pretty pair pants. So these early adopters are key in helping trends catch on, but they have to be pretty good about knowing what to hype or people will stop trusting their taste. The next group to pick up the new thing is called the early majority. A majority is like the biggest part of a population. So it means most people. Unlike the others, this is a big group. The early majority, they're not really leaders or trendsetters, but they're a little quicker than most to pick up on a new idea. And according to this theory, they usually want to know more about a trend before they jump on it. So maybe they get on board after seeing something on the news. A new trend is taking the world by storm. Fruit pants. You've seen them on the runways of Paris and Milan, and now they're even in school lunchrooms and on playgrounds. In fact, I'm wearing some right now. Check out my key lime khakis. So fun, so fashionable, so fruit-tastic. Coming up, vegetable vests. Are they the next big thing? Huh. So they might ask questions like, do fruit pants really hold up, or are they going to fall apart? What happens if they get wet from rain? Will my fruit pants attract fruit bats? All great questions. Now, when the early majority gets on board, then you know you have a bona fide trend on your hands. Then after the early majority, you get the late majority. Oh, yeah. These are people who are pretty skeptical of new things. They usually don't jump on trends until most people are already doing it. Right. Generally, the late majority aren't convinced until something is pretty mainstream. At this point, most people are taking part in the trend, and it might lose its appeal to taste makers. Then finally, the last group to join are called laggards. Laggards are a smaller group, kind of like the opposite of early adopters. They don't really like change. They don't chase what's cool or in at the moment. Which kind of makes them cool in their own way, because like innovators, laggards don't care as much about what people think of them. So a successful trend moves through all those groups, from innovators to early adopters to the early majority and the late majority, and then finally to the laggards. But at that point, is it still considered a trend? Huh. Good question. You know, I would think at that point, it just kind of becomes part of life, like blue jeans, smartphones, and regular front-facing high fives. I think the backwards ones will catch on too. Me too. They're just so fun. Well, Sandin, thanks for explaining. The diffusion of innovation theory. No problem. Now, if you'll excuse me, I cannot possibly stay in this out-of-date studio one second longer. But Sandin, you just redecorated it yourself. Yeah, like five minutes ago. Keep up, Molly. All of this is out of date now. Well, it's been fun for you. Bye. So, Harlan, did that theory about how trends spread seem right to you? Yes. So where do you think you usually fall in that cycle? So just to remind ourselves, there's the innovators, the early adopters, the early majority, the late majority, and the laggards. Probably the early adopters. Nice. So you see it, and you're like, that seems super cool. Yeah. Speaking of trendy, always in fashion forever my passion, it's time for the mystery sound. Mystery sound. Harlan, are you ready to guess a mystery sound? Yes. OK. Oh, OK. Harlan, what do you think? I think it's like a balloon being rubbed together with their hand going like that around it. Nice. Yeah, the moment you heard that, you were like, I know what this is. Yeah. Do you like to play with balloons and stuff? Well, yeah. I bought some yesterday. Oh my gosh. So it's fresh in your mind. Yeah. I'm not sure. Oh my gosh. It was like fresh in your mind. Yeah. And I blew one up, and then I put it on my brother's head, and I just rolled it on his head, and his hair went up. It was really funny. Oh my gosh. I love doing that with balloons. OK. So we're going to hear it again. See if you want to stick with your guess, and then hear the answer right after the credits. So stick around. We're working on an episode about a time millions of years ago when birds and dinosaurs lived side by side. And we were wondering if you could bring a living, breathing dinosaur to show and tell, what kind would you bring and why? A gentle triceratops for all your friends to pet, a velociraptor to play hide and seek with on the playground. Harlan, what about you? What dinosaur would you bring to show and tell? I would bring a varantosaurus, because it could put its head down, and I could sit on it, and then it could bring its head up, and then I could slide down it. Oh my gosh. So funny. You had those varantosaurus with the really long necks, right? Yeah. Nice. Yeah, they're super cool. Good choice, Harlan. Well, listeners, we want to know about what kind of dinosaur you would bring to show and tell, and why. So please record your answer and send it to us at brainson.org. Slash, contact. While you're there, send us your mystery sounds, drawings, and questions. Like this one. How do scientists know how old fossils are? You can find answers to questions like these on the Moment of Um podcast, a short dose of facts and fun every weekday. Find Moment of Um and more at brainson.org. And keep listening. Brains On Universe is a family of podcasts for kids and their adults. Since you're a fan of Brains On, you'll love the other shows in our universe. Come on, let's explore. It's Alien Lundry Day. While I wash my nose mufflers and tummy togas, I'll listen to a new podcast. How about Forever Ago, my favorite history podcast? Whoa, I was not expecting that to work. Orphan to sound isn't good. That's the DJ Dolo technique. When I say pizza, you say bagel. Pizza. Bagel. Sorp. Signal down. Stay right there, tummy togas. Must find forever ago. Now. Listen to Forever Ago, wherever you get your podcasts. Brains On. You're listening to Brains On. I'm Harlan. And I'm Molly. And today we're talking trends. Trends can be anything from a way of dressing to an activity, to a behavior, or even slang. We just talked about one idea of how trends spread. They usually start with a group of creative people called innovators. Then they're picked up by early adopters who are kind of like influencers or trendsetters. Finally, they spread to the rest of the population. So Harlan, if you could start a trend, what would it be? Everybody has puppies. Oh, yes. I am all for that trend. So we all just have puppies all the time because they're the best thing ever? Yeah. Oh, great trend, Harlan. I am on board. Let's check back in with our listeners about more trends and hear what trends that they'd like to see sweep the nation. My idea for a trend would be if on one day of every year, her businesses would have their products cost something that isn't money, such as bananas. I think the next trend should be wearing gates. The trend I would like to start is on October 2nd. It would be National Donut Day, and on the day, everyone would just eat donuts. The trend that I would like to start is dressed like the weather. We think everyone could throw in non-imagined socks. We think it's cool because we don't have to throw away single socks when dry or eat them. And my trend is that everyone can wear their pajamas everywhere. And I think that everyone should have a pet because it could keep you company when you live alone. Meow meow. Thanks to trend setters Augustus, Ivy, Mia, Jubilee, Chloe, and Louis, Ananya, and Fiona. But you might be wondering, why do we have trends in the first place? One idea is that they help us bond with each other as humans. This is called social connection. When we follow a trend, we join a group of people who are into that same thing. Like how some Taylor Swift fans wear friendship bracelets to let other Swifties know they're one of them. This helps them all feel like they're in a group or a community. Some scientists think that this willingness to follow trends helped early humans form tighter communities, which helped them survive better through tough times. And get this. By not following a trend, you're also saying something about yourself. You're saying you aren't a trend person. That might help you make friends with other people who scoff at trends. And you and those people might form your own anti-trend friend group. More social connections. So trends can be good, but let's be honest. They can be bad too. Right. They can make you feel like you need to buy more things to fit in, and that can be expensive. And it's wasteful to always get lots of new things like clothes or toys. It's better for the planet when you use less stuff instead. Plus, a lot of people can feel left out of trends, and being left out is a major bummer. Have you ever felt left out of a trend, Harlan? Yes. One of my friends had a super cool stuffie that I wanted, and I couldn't get it because my mom told me that I had too many stuffies already. And I was like, okay, wait a minute. She's like, no. Thank you for getting rid of no one though. I totally hear that. Ugh, that's really frustrating. Yeah, I mean, we can't always get the new things that we want, right? Yeah, I'm always like, I want it though. Yeah, I know. It's frustrating to want something and not be able to get it for, maybe you don't have room, maybe you don't have money, maybe you just don't want to buy any more things. So trends have an upside and a downside. And get this. They also have an animal side. We actually see trend followers in nature too, like with birds. Over the past hundred years, scientists have studied how birds build nests. And they noticed something chirp-worthy. Turns out some songbird species are bird fluencers. When one bird builds their nest with a certain plant or material, other birds in their community are more likely to do the same. Hey there, I'm Wendy the trendy tufted titmouse. I just found this darling ball of yarn in the dump. It's neon yellow and totally hunter chic, so I wove it into my nest. Wendy, you've got such an eye. We're going to put that yarn in our nest too. Yeah, I want my nest to be just like yours. You're too sweet. I guess that old saying is true. Birds of a feather flock together. But it's not just birds. Chimps are also trend conscious. About 15 years ago, some scientists started noticing a funny fad among a group of chimpanzees living in a sanctuary park in Zambia in southern Africa. A female chimp named Julie started sticking a piece of grass in her ear. The next year, all the chimps were doing it. Sticking a blade of grass in their ears wasn't useful behavior for the chimps. It was just kind of entertaining or fashionable. This suggests that other species of animals copy their friends' behavior for social or cultural reasons. Like orca whales. Oh yeah, orcas are famous for setting and following trends. Back in 1987, when mullets and acid wash genes were all of rage, a female orca off the coast of Washington state started a sweet trend. She swam around with a dead salmon balanced on her head. Dead fish on my head, floppy and cold. Feeling fly, feeling bold. This fish is fashion gold. She was a true innovator. Soon, early adopters in her group started balancing dead salmon on their heads too. And then orcas in other groups started doing it. Ooh, nice salmon cap, Bronson. You too, Gail. Isn't this whole dead salmon headgear thing a whale of a trend? Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the orcas stopped doing it. The trend was over. And scientists weren't sure why it caught on in the first place. Maybe it was a form of communication or a way of attracting a mate. Or the orcas were just fooling around. Then, just last year, a photographer took a picture of an orca off the coast of Washington state, wearing a dead salmon on its head, and the photo drew a lot of attention. People wanted to know, is the dead salmon trend back? So far, it doesn't look like it. There isn't any other evidence that other orcas are doing it too. But maybe in a few months, it'll catch on. You never know. And we do know all sorts of animals follow trends, from songbirds to orcas to humans. They're a hit! I'm a genius! Mark, you're back. Yes, and guess what? My dried fruit is selling like wild! Really? That's great. Yeah, I mean, sales were a little slow at first, but then, I started throwing in a free pair of fruit pants with every order and suddenly sales took off. People are saying things like, these fit perfectly, and they go with everything in my closet. Don't you think they're talking about the fruit pants, Mark? What? No, they mean the dried fruit fits in their mouth and goes with everything in their food closet. A.k.a. their pantry, obviously. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have about a hundred more orders to pack up. Yippee! Trends can be big or small, but they usually spread the same way. Creative people called innovators come up with something new. Then, early adopters or influencers pick it up and spread it to other people. It's hard to say why something is seen as cool or trendy, but we know trends are important for humans. They can help us form bonds and tighten our relationships. Even some animals follow trends. That's it for this episode of Brains On. This episode was written by Sandin Totten and Rosie DuPont and it was edited by Shayla Farzon fact-checking by Rebecca Rand We had engineering help from Lena Alvarez and Derek Ramirez with sound design and original theme music by Mark Sanchez We had production help from the rest of the Brains On Universe team. Molly Bloom Rachel Breeze Goldfield Miko Gonzalez-Whistler Ruby Guthrie Lauren Humpert Joshua Wright Charlotte Traver Anna Weigel Ann Aaron Woldesalassie Beth Perlman is our executive producer and the executives in charge of APM Studios are Chandra Kovati and Joanne Griffith. Special thanks to Lindsay Jones, Maya, Donna and Malia. Brains On is a non-profit public radio program. There are lots of ways to support the show. Head to BrainsOn.org to sign up for the Brains On Universe newsletter for bonus activities, reading recommendations and more. While you're there you can send us mystery sounds, drawings and questions. Again, that's BrainsOn.org. Okay, Harlan, are you ready to hear that mystery sound again? Yes. Okay, last time you were like, I know what this is. Do you still feel confident? I think it's that, but also I feel like it's like maybe like somebody farting in the microphone. It could also be that. And then like a crow going, BAAAARGH! Yes, I often record myself farting in front of crows. I love it. Okay, so either balloons or me particularly farting in front of a crow. Okay, are you ready for the answer? Yes. Okay, here it is. Hi, my name is Eve and that was the sound of me rubbing my fingers on a balloon. I knew it! You did it! You were 100% correct and you knew it right away. That was very impressive. I think we need to give a shout out to your brother. Yeah. Shout out to your brother for letting you rub a balloon on his head. Amazing. Excellent. Here's Harlan. Now it's time for the brain's honor roll. These are the incredible kids who keep the show going with their questions, ideas, mystery sounds, drawings and high fives. Audrey from Covington, Kentucky. Brooks and Chase from Mequon, Wisconsin. Ada from Boston. Hannah Eleanor and Stella from Castle Rock, Colorado. Nathan from Calgary. Lucas from Pittsburgh. Elliot from Seattle. Ada from Beverly, Massachusetts. Jack from Melbourne, Australia. Aria and Ellie from Downington, Pennsylvania. Benjamin and Noah from Winter Haven, Florida. Ioni from Liverpool, England. Michal and Nishama from Potomac, Maryland. Reese from Downers Grove, Illinois. Emma from Canada. Evan from Reading, Connecticut. Hadar and Nita from Israel. Theo from Bridgewater Township, New Jersey. Ketzal from Los Angeles. Artemis from Ashville, North Carolina. Eloise and Margot from Ames, Iowa. Rowan and Desi from San Francisco. Lizzie from Yale, Michigan. Caster from Vancouver. Mackenzie from Corpus Christi, Texas. Ellison from New New Georgia. Jet Bowie and Shepherd from Columbia, Missouri. Thomas, Caleb and Bradley from Fort Worth, Texas. Juniper from Philadelphia. Eva from Singapore. Ariana from Malmel, Arkansas. Clover from Alta Dina, California. Beckham from Cochrane, Alberta. Cora from Houston. Sophie from Glenridge, New Jersey. Hazy from Ashville, North Carolina. Basil from Notie, Oregon. Calvin from Hillsborough, North Carolina. Gabby from Boston. Zana from St. Petersburg, Florida. Lennox from Columbus, Ohio. Charlie from Mahopic, New York. Henry from Lake Bluff, Illinois. Gaines from College Station, Texas. Natalie from Waterloo, Ontario. Sid from San Francisco. Olivia from Bangkok. Avi and Ola from Gilbert, Arizona. Johnny from Redmond, Washington. Everett, Forest and Rosemary from New Market, Alabama. Joanna from Gordon, Georgia. Beau from Columbus, Georgia. Cora from Minneapolis. Emma Benjamin and Vivian from Crownsville, Maryland. Jane and Lucy from Rui Doso, New Mexico. Kinsley and Baron from Cape May, Courthouse, New Jersey. And Isabel from Torrance, California. Brains on the road. High thighs. This is the last episode of this season. We'll be back with brand new episodes on May 6th. Until then, you can check out Forever Ago, Smash Boom Best and Moment of Um, wherever you listen to Brains On or at our website. Thanks for listening.