In our quest to keep our finger on the pulse of all things youth culture, we come across a lot of unique sites and blogs that say a lot about the interests and tastes of Millennials right this minute. To pass that on to you, we’ve created a list of some recent talked about sites to give you a snapshot of Millennial culture. Here are some trending sites you should know:
Sometimes a single-serving blog becomes popular just because it is so ridiculous you can’t look away. Rappers and Cereal just might be one of those blogs. The concept takes famous rappers and photoshops them endorsing fake cereals. For example, Snoop Dog poses with a box of Snoop Loops, and Macklemore holds a box of Mackle S’mores Crunch. The Tumblr has been going for about a year and is just gaining recognition, seeing a recent surge in popularity likely due to the insatiable appetite for cultural mash-ups that pair up two completely divergent categories. (The Game of Thrones and Seinfeld mashup videos are another great example of the trend.)
The 90s ButtonIf your question is: “Are Millennials ever going to get over ‘90s nostalgia?” The answer seems to be: not anytime soon. Despite their endless love for the ‘90s over the years seeping into marketing, influencing fashion, and dominating Buzzfeed lists, their appetite for everything ‘90s seems to have no end. Enter The 90s Button, a site that sends any visitor into an endless stream of ‘90s glory. The landing page features a Blingee background, three dancing MC Hammers, and a button featuring David Hasselhoff’s face asking, “Unleash Heaven?” Once pressed, a non-stop loop of ‘90s songs and their YouTube videos begins to play. Visitors can also share what song was served up to them with their friends, as each produces a unique URL. ‘90s Button combines an element of surprise (you don’t know what musical gem is coming next) with some over-the-top ‘90s love, a perfect recipe for Millennials.
HipstertestAre you a hipster? Take this quiz and find out! Spoiler alert: You are. The term hipster has been overused to the extent that it is applied to almost all things that just about any young person could like today. Tattoos, bikes, jam—these are all things that are ascribed to hipster culture but in fact span much beyond this small group. Unlike previous hipster test sites, Hipstertest aims to point out the overuse and generalization of the term by showing that just about anything makes you a hipster these days. Like movies? You’re a hipster. Think waffles are tasty? Hipster. The site is funny, well-designed, shareable, and the message resonates. Those who throw the term hipster around are starting to sound like they’re stuck in the past.
Filter FakersIf you haven’t spent a lot of time on Instagram, you might not know that #nofilter has become regular part of the image sharing community’s lingo. The hashtag signifies when a user has used none of the provided filters before posting an image, and is someone of a boast that the original pic was so good no adjustments were needed. So it was only a matter of time before misuse of #nofilter started to be called out. Filter Fakers collects #nofilter offenders and reveals the filter they actually did use to attain the perfect snapshot. The site is a great example of Millennials’ desire for truth and transparency in all things offline and on. As the site says “Go nuts with the Instagram filters, but at least be honest about it.”
Jony Ive Redesigns ThingsAs we wrote about in our most recent Lifeline report, Millennials are pros at Brandjacking. Sometimes Brandjacking—or “borrowing” a brand’s logo or design— is a form of creative participation, and sometimes it can be a way to creatively express criticism. The blog Jony Ive Redesigns Things might be a combination of both. Following the unveiling of Apple’s new i0S 7 interface design, with “flattened,” brighter graphics, fans and critics began to poke fun at head designer Jony Ive and his “sunset on acid” new look. This Tumblr collects those images and gives a tongue-in-cheek look at how Ive and Apple would redesign other famous logos, works of art, and iconic images, adopting the pastel-heavy flat design to poke fun at Apple’s makeover. The blog has collected everything from “Ived” Mona Lisas to bananas. Nothing is safe from the i0S redesign. Though the site is satirizing the Apple interface design change, it is also somewhat of an homage to Ive, and certainly highlights the fact that Apple is still cultural fodder for young bloggers and artists alike.
