VSCO girls are the biggest key trend of Q3, but will they be replaced by E-girls? Plus, the end of Fortnite Chapter One worried gamers with a big stunt.
Every quarter, we look at what’s trending in the kids space and we do this by asking the experts – actual children. We asked kids on PopJam, our safe content-sharing platform, their thoughts on a range of subjects. We don’t collect any data on PopJammers, but we do compile the most-mentioned answers to identify the top trends.
VSCO girls VS E-girls
If you work with kids, you’ll know all about the current VSCO girl trend (especially if you read our 2019 Q2 Kids Trends blog). VSCO girls went from being users of a photo editing app to a subculture of aesthetic-focused social fans with a number of specific props (scrunchies, metal straws, Vans and Hydro Flasks) and catchphrases obtained from memes. On PopJam (and also echoed across 13+ social media) lots of girls identified as VSCO, and then there was a backlash, with their iconic props and catchphrases being used against them.
Now, we’re seeing more mentions of E-Girls (and E-Boys). Living on TikTok, E-Girls typically have eyeliner, hearts drawn under their eyes and wear oversized band tees. They like beauty bloggers, gaming and Billie Eilish. There are E-Boys, too. They’re becoming prevalent online, but you’re not as likely to see them IRL. Are they the natural nemesis of the light and flighty VSCO girl? Maybe. Finding your tribe has always been a part of growing up, and now it’s specifically happening in a social sense.
Interested in kids trends? Every month we create a Kids Insights Report, digging into all the trends in our highly-engaged PopJam community. If you’d like to check out this month’s report, click here.
We’re also seeing small mentions of a new subculture – Soft Girls. They wear pink and white and like oversized jumpers that make them look petite and approachable. Let’s see what happens with that one.
The end of Fortnite?
Fortnite created widespread panic last month when they blew up their world. Marking the end of Season Ten, during a live streaming event, the Fortnite world was sucked into a black hole. Many users were left unable to sign in and genuinely feared it was the end of Fortnite. (Spoiler alert: it wasn’t!)
This obviously caused anxiety for some kids, especially as many had spent money on various skins. A trailer for Fortnite Chapter Two soon arrived and put minds to rest, but this is a great example of a successful marketing stunt that got kids talking about Fortnite. We’ve seen a decline in kids talking about Fortnite on PopJam, with Roblox remaining steady and Minecraft rising in popularity again (largely thanks to PewDiePie and his YouTube videos).
Q3 has been an interesting time for trends: the holy trinity of YouTube, Fortnite and TikTok continue to dominate, and even enhance, other trends. We’ve also seen Gacha remain popular (especially with PopJammers using Gacha apps to create VSCO girl content), and kids talking about climate change (with current news, protests and fires in the Amazon Rainforest pushing kids to share their concerns).
Q3 also saw the start of Halloween and the beginnings of Christmas content. Q4 will be holiday heavy, but we’ll be keeping an eye on what kids are talking about, with a particular interest in what kids think the biggest trends of 2020 will be. Watch this space!
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Craig Donaghy is Head of Community for PopJam, the largest kid-safe social content platform.
