Culture

The use of social media has exploded over the last decade with innovations and apps that keep people more connected now than ever before. Sometimes that’s a good thing – people are connected more closely all over the world thanks to social media. Apps like Facebook help people keep in touch with friends and family from the different stages of their lives. Instagram serves as inspiration for what seems to be virtual mood boards. Twitter keeps users in touch with what’s going on around them through hashtags. 

It goes without saying that the year 2020 will go down in history as one of the most memorable, difficult, and unprecedented times in human history. Granted, most of the 21st century could exist under that guise as well, but there were so many things that happened during the last year which make 2020 one of the most historical, memorable years of modern history. 

From the social justice movements to political issues and news, public health crises to viral entertainment moments, watching social media can help us get a sense of our collective experiences. COVID-19 and the associated events surrounding the spread of the global pandemic have left nobody unaffected, which is why the team behind Teneo turned to Twitter to get a sense of what the most impactful moments of 2020 were.

Social media has been a bit of a lifeline during this pandemic. What were the most trending topics each day of lockdown, and the days afterward? 

The Most Viral Moments of 2020 Through Hashtags

The most tweeted hashtag of 2020, overall, was #BlackLivesMatter. This organization works to fight for the freedom, liberation, and justice for Black communities in not only the United States, but also in the U.K. and Canada. The hashtag was used well over 8 million times in at least 8.2 million tweets on the Twitter platform, showing just how expansive not only the movement is but also how expansive the conversation surrounding social issues and racism is. 

The second most-tweeted hashtag happened to be about entertainment. The #Oscars and #Grammys were the second and third most popular tweets in 2020, being used 6.7 million times and 6.6 million times respectively. The first South Korean film was nominated for Best Picture and Best International Feature Film in 2020. Additionally, the #Grammys had several historical moments, including the discussion of the Recording Academy and their alleged misconduct. 

You can see the full list of the top hashtags during COVID19 and the top trending tweet each day of 2020 here.

 

Nothing about the past year was easy or enjoyable. Even wonderful occasions were tainted with worry about our health and social distancing guidelines. While we all did our best to cope with the constantly changing world, the holidays fell under the heading of “not-quite-normal” for sure. Shopping with masks on, foregoing trips to see loved ones, and generally keeping to ourselves all put a damper on our holiday cheer. For months, we were all looking forward to the new year. Now it’s here, but our world hasn’t righted itself.

If you’re experiencing a post-holiday slump like no other, you aren’t alone. Lots of people experience feel depressed or empty after the holidays, and it’s completely natural to feel a come-down after the hustle and bustle. But this year there is a bigger picture to consider. This time last year we were all living our normal lives and could never have imagined that the pandemic would have gone on for an entire year. Now that it has, we’re all processing the feelings and possibly denial that we’ve all felt since March 2020… which feels like it was yesterday.

If you’re wondering how best to beat the post-holiday blues, there are a few things you can do:

1. Practice gratitude: Whether or not you enjoyed this Christmas, we do have things to be grateful for. The vaccinations for COVID-19 have been developed. Family and friends have come together (virtually) for support. And people are all expressing their gratitude for their health and whatever happiness they found this year. 
2. Get some endorphins: Working out is a good way to dig yourself out of any funk, and thanks to the many changes this year brought, there are tons of home workouts you can do to give your body a good endorphin rush to make yourself feel a little better. 
3. Create some goals for yourself: They don’t have to be resolutions! If you want to clean out a closet or organize a drawer or even learn how to make a recipe, make that little goal for a free weekend! It’ll help you look forward rather than backward.

2020 is a year everyone is looking forward to forgetting and 2021 is a year we’re entering with trepidation. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t be optimistic or look for joy in unexpected places. Be good to yourself this year and allow yourself to mourn the loss of 2020. Then look forward, because we have every reason to hope this year will be better.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade — which took place last week — is a huge event Americans every single year. According to CBS News, “approximately 50 million viewers tune into the parade from home each year. Another 3.5 million revelers head to the streets of New York City to watch the parade in person.” To put that into perspective, around 17.7 million people watched the NBA Finals this year. All this to say: The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is by no means “getting old” and people aren’t getting tired of it.

Even with a recurring set of balloons, some of which that have been around for years, Americans around the country (and in New York City) love to tune in and watch them. Luckily for anyone who really loves the event, a set of infographics about the history of the parade was just released by Treetopia. With so many fun facts about it, here’s a round-up of the most compelling ones.

2 floats are introduced each year on average, and in total 136 new ones have been added to the parade over the years.

2015 was the year when the most new floats were introduced — 10.

This year, the temperature broke records for being a brisk 19 degrees, but the coldest years of the past were 1947, 1976, and 1984.

The total cost of putting on the parade ranges from $11.6 million to $13.4 million each year.

The cost of filling a balloon with helium is around $510,000.

The average life of a balloon in the parade is 8 years.

Each balloon is entered by a sponsor, and they pay $90,000 to have theirs included. This doesn’t include the construction cost of the balloon, itself.

 

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has been going since 1924 and shows no signs of stopping. For anyone who loves it, this is great news. Each year it’s a spectacle and has something new to offer.

 

 

With the holidays right around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about what you’ll do with your free time. For some, a Hallmark movie marathon is the only answer. Others might prefer to partake in an excessive amount of Christmas baking. And still, for others, free time is spent cozying up by the fireplace with a cup of coffee and a good book, reading for hours at a time.

If you’re a reader, here are 3 books that you should consider adding to your Christmas list.

 

1. Seven Days of Us

What’s a Christmas list without at least one Christmas book on it, right? Well, Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak is that book. Hornak’s novel entails paints an all-too-relatable picture of what it can be like to go home for the holidays.  

The book begins with the Birch Family finally getting together for Christmas again– something they hadn’t done in years. Olivia, the doctor of the family, who is home from treating an epidemic abroad, has been instructed to stay in quarantine, which ultimately means, her family has to as well. As you might imagine, seven days on lock-down with your family, and unreliable wifi can bring up some tension. Do you, too, feel a hint of cabin fever when visiting your family over the holidays? Then Seven Days of Us might just be for you.

Interested? Check out the full summary and reviews here.

 

2. Becoming

Want to spend the holidays reading about the experiences of one of America’s most beloved first ladies? Then Becoming should be at the top of your Christmas list. In her newest memoir, Michelle Obama authentically shares her story– including a variety of personal experiences from her childhood years, to her time in the White House, and everything in between.

Though Becoming was released less than a week ago, it has already made its way to the number one spot on Amazon’s current best-seller list, received rave reviews, and a 4.5-star rating on Goodreads. Check out the full summary here.

 

3. The Hate U Give

You might not typically read Young Adult Fiction, but this New York Time’s best-seller is worth making an exception to your normal reading habits. Star Carter, the book’s teen protagonist, deals with everything most teenagers do, and more. Trying her best to navigate the ups-and-downs of living in a low-income neighborhood, yet attending a posh private preparatory school can be tricky enough. Add that to the fact that she has a front-row seat to the unhealthy racial tensions in her town and even witnesses a police officer shoot and kill her childhood best friend. Needless to say, this is not an emotionally light read, but it is, nonetheless, an important one.

You can check out the full summary and reviews here.

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Reddit calls itself the “front page of the internet,” and all that description is as true as it is nebulous. It’s an amalgam of articles, photos, blog posts, text posts, and more shared in a seemingly endless number of subreddits (Reddit’s term for communities on their site). It can come in handy for many reasons — looking for a good meme, trying to find advice, or even trying to develop yourself professionally. There are a few subreddits that are beneficial specifically for writers. Highlighted and described below are the best subreddits for writers.

 

r/Writing

Let’s start with the basics. r/Writing describes itself as, “The home for writers. We talk about important matters for writers, news affecting writers, and the finer aspects of the writing craft.” It’s a great place for you to ask questions to other writers (you’ll see that a lot on this sub), get encouragement, or even find resources related to writing that others share.

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r/Writers

This subreddit is similar to the last one, but this one has more of a focus on critiquing others’ work. Head to r/Writers if you’re working on a specific piece and need help with it, are working on generally increasing your skill by getting feedback, or even want input on story structure and writing strategy.

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r/KeepWriting

As anyone who has written anything knows, writer’s block is a real thing. This subreddit is dedicated to fueling motivation to keep writing and honing one’s craft. Check out r/KeepWriting if you’re stuck at a particular part of your piece, or if you’re just looking for help getting or staying motivated to write.

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r/WritingPrompts

Sometimes you have the motivation and want to write, or you’re really interested in working on improving your skills, but you don’t know what to write! This subreddit was created to solve that problem. People submit writing prompts for all participants to use as fuel for their story. This is a great place to jumpstart your creativity and get writing.

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r/FreelanceWriters

If you are a writer and that is your primary job, this is a great subreddit to be a part of. It’s for those who make a living off freelance jobs specifically related to writing. You can ask questions to other writers, get an idea of going rates for jobs, or just vent to others who are going through similar frustrations.

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r/Books

What makes you a better writer? Reading more. This subreddit is focused on discussion around books, and is a great place to go if you’re looking for inspiration on what to read next, or to see how others reacted to another author’s writing. There’s a specific book recommendation thread you can look at if you’re looking for one.