Actions, much like cultural trends, are contagious. 

Throughout this decade, we’ve seen many trends come and go, from the Harlem Shake, to the ALS challenge, to spreading meme culture worldwide. Something all these trends have in common is that their spotlight was short lived, which perfectly resembles the progression of the world and all of its turbulence 10 years ago compared to now. 

The decade started off promising. A new era of presidency emerged, FBIs 10 Most Wanted was neutralized, and teenage girls worldwide were suffering from a wild case of Bieber fever. Countries like Central Africa and Haiti struggled while America regained global superpower. 

When the chants of “Yes We Can” were overshadowed by chants of “Making America Great Again” that was just sign number one of what became of the last decade, a sudden change in events accumulating day by day. If there are two words to describe these years of our lives, it would be turbulence and tech obsession. Apple’s meteoric rise going into the 2010 decade began a revolution of advancements in government technology, wireless networking, and online money making. Online non-profits such as WikiLeaks, allowed news to be spread prior to whenever it becomes announced. Forcing controversy among all citizens. 

There are highs and lows that have come with the widespread growth of the Internet. People have met the love of their lives online with online dating services, and people have used it to reach out to someone about a school shooting that their about to take part in. Unfortunately not everyone in this world carries the same thoughts and opinions, but something that is meant to be left behind going into the next decade, is hate.  Maybe something as trivial as pop culture really isn’t enough to distract us from the mayhem that has been the bonding of this country.

With internet craze comes shock culture, which is the art of finding the most extraordinary thing possible to make headlines. Boy there was plenty of it. Kanye West became a church worshipper, people struggled with unpredictable identity issues, and an abrupt outbreak of e-cigarettes emerged. But for all the madness and craze that has accumulated overtime in the last 10 years, will come a retribution of spreading good in the near future. Now that we are as comfortable as ever as a country, going into 2020 I hope to see nothing but positive energy being spread, and that will occur from learning all the mistakes of the wild yet memorable turbulence of the Twenty Tens.