We are all familiar with the name ‘Tiktok’. In the world of social media, Tiktok holds a major presence—alongside the apps Instagram and X—and is known as a trendsetter and primary source of digital culture. For youths out there who use the app, trends emerge and change left and right. This phenomenon may be the result of these contributing factors:
1. The desire for fame
Many users, specifically teenagers, compete to get likes and followers, or even the chance of going viral. Because of this, trends change rapidly. When it gets ‘too general’ or ‘too mainstream’, users find other trends that are newer and more eye-catching to follow.
2. Business Motivation
The industry of fashion and technology relies heavily on social media algorithms and are constantly striving to keep up with customer demands. With new products, styles, vibes, and/or marketing campaigns, they generate trends by collaborating with influencers who have a massive number of followers. These brand deals are also motivation for Tiktok users to gain a massive following.
3. The influence of celebrities and influencers alike
Some people consider celebrities and influencers as the benchmark for existing trends. Their choice of fashion, beauty, and lifestyle can quickly popularize amongst people. I saw that this creates an urgency to adopt their style, which then creates a new trend.
4. The urge to create signature styles
People seek to look different than anyone else—they want to stand out. This contributes to the adoption of trends and eventually its decline. As I have mentioned before, once the trend becomes too mainstream, people tend to look for new unique trends so that they can stand out.
One of the popular trends on Tiktok among Indonesian teenagers is the Velocity trend. But it should be noted that the term ‘velocity’ comes from the effect that is used in these videos. So, it refers to video editing where the clip speed is slowed down or sped up in sync with the beat of the audio. To do the Velocity trend, you can use any music or sound on Tiktok and in the editing process you will add the velocity effect.
So, how did this ‘velocity’ phenomenon become a trend?
First of all, the music used in these Velocity trend videos originated from a fast-paced, beat heavy audio style, namely ‘jedag-jedug’ (JJ). Although it is not officially categorized as a music genre, it is widely enjoyed by Indonesians since the year 2015 until now. But since the pandemic, jedag-jedug slowly blossomed even more—especially amongst teenagers.
Although jedag-jedug has been around for years, it was not nationally popularized until the year 2022 where the trend with the song ‘Sikok Bagi Duo’ by Yassdi first appeared. This audio, paired with the velocity and flicker effect on Tiktok, quickly gained popularity among students in Indonesia. This trend then became an early form of what we know now as the Velocity trend.
In the previous year of 2024, more people started to like jedag-jedug. Much more jedag-jedug audios were being used for trends. And in the same year, THE velocity template was born, which is still used today. And it is thanks to this template, we now have what we know as the Velocity trend. The template consists of doing the ‘I Love You’ handsign and ‘finger heart’ while gently gliding both from the opposite side of your body from each hand. With catchy upbeat remixes being used, as well as simple dance moves coordinated into it, the Velocity trend had everyone hooked!
Adolescents tend to have FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) and are highly influenced by their peers, hence; the Velocity trend spreading faster and wider amongst teenagers. As well as the emerging celebrities and influencers jumping on the bandwagon. And now, teenagers have become the main target audience for the Velocity trend. Additionally, their desire for self expression and social belonging encourages them to follow this never ending cycle that resonantes perfectly with the youth, as it is the type of content that is brief yet attention grabbing. As well as Tiktoks algorithm that supports fast virality.
Many Indonesian influencers have now risen to fame from doing the Velocity trend. This inspires many to get creative and start their own Velocity trend. And while it may be fun, we cannot just follow along with it. Instead of blindly following it, we can reflect on its purpose and impact on others as well as ourselves. I’m not trying to party poop this, I am just stating that being trend aware in an era where everything moves fast, taking a moment to be conscious and mindful of our digital habits can keep us in control while still having fun.