Going viral: The psychology of trends

A multi-colored smiley face drawn with chalk on a pavement ground, photographed from above. Two pairs of trainers can be seen next to the drawing, implying two people standing around it.

Before Tom launched MySpace and before Facebook was even a glimmer in Mark Zuckerburg’s eye, viral internet trends had already begun – in the form of GIFs, urban legends and even ‘curses’ sent as email attachments. And owing to the internet’s seemingly limitless reach, these trends had the capacity to gain traction at a rate never before seen.

Fast forward to 2024 and, though viral content may look very different today – we’re looking at you, TikTok – the opportunities for creating a trend, are endless. But what is it that makes a trend? And how can we use this to harness the power of virality in the content we create?

In this session, on Thursday 25th April at 3:30pm UK time, we explored:

  • The psychology of trends and why we respond the way we do to viral content
  • What makes a trend
  • Some arts and cultural industry case studies 
  • How not to participate in a trend

Throughout the webinar, we welcomed questions from participants to ensure you were able to get the best possible information for you and your organisation. We also included a dedicated Q&A session at the end of the webinar.