As the calendar flips to 2026, what made pop culture headlines in 2025? From artificial intelligence reshaping the world to “six-seeeeven” jokes taking over classrooms, 2025 was an influential year with most trends being led by social media.

“Social media affects trends because it makes things more popular, and can easily influence people online to do things,” sophomore Angelina Arvizo said.

One of the biggest trends, according to students, was saying “six-seeeeven”. The joke originated from Tiktok and the song “Doot Doot” by Lord Skrilla.

“At first I thought it was really annoying,” sophomore Kaitlyn Dulle said. “But now, it’s stuck in my head because all my friends say it.”

Energy drinks are also popular, especially among young adults trying to keep up with their schedules. Many different brands have gained popularity due to the energy drink craze, with some of the biggest brands being Alani and Redbull.

“Energy drinks are really helpful,” sophomore Naomi Ortiz said. “They help me get through school and volleyball tournaments.”

Fashion trends have especially been influenced by social media. One of the biggest fashion trends this past year has been chunky jewelry and bracelet stacks. This new trend leans into mixing metals, textures and sizes to upgrade simple outfits.

“It ties your outfit together and adds personality,” sophomore Brooklyn Masters said. “You can tell a lot from a person based off their jewelry.”

The most controversial trend of the year has been the rise of A.I., especially ChatGPT. The platform experienced exponential growth since its release in November of 2022, becoming a helpful resource for students. It’s use has become a large debate among educators, questioning if its being used correctly.

“It saddens me to think that a generation will grow up believing that the craft of writing is not worth pursuing,” english teacher Jacob Taylor said. “There are doubtlessly good and innovative uses of Chat-GPT.”