The internet has given us many priceless things – the power to research without going through endless books, to listen to your favourite music whenever and wherever, and to connect with anyone across the globe at the tap of a finger. But along with the miracles, came somethings we could not overlook. We’re talking about trends that took the internet by a storm – but should probably never happen again.

1. ALS Ice Bucket

Started as a challenge to raise awareness towards the challenges faced by individuals affected by ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/Lou Gehrig’s Disease), The Ice Bucket challenge seemed to lose its purpose somewhere along the way. While the challenge requires an individual the volunteer to dump a bucket of ice-cold water on themselves and nominate others for the same, people on the internet were often seen throwing water over unsuspecting friends or using normal (not ice cold) water for the challenge. While challenges such as these are important for raising awareness, they lose their purpose when they are carried out without an understanding of the reason behind it.

2. Harlem Shake

It’s playing in your head now, isn’t it? That ludacris electronic drop with a roomful of people going berserk. The dance challenge came out of nowhere and the world threw their hands in the air and care to the wind. While we definitely enjoyed the videos and many of us even participated in the challenge, the dance challenge doesn’t follow any rhyme or reason. It is absolutely ridiculous (and we love it!).

3. Mannequin Challenge

A whole crowd stands still as if frozen in time. Make that global and you have yourself a Mannequin Challenge. Much like the Harlem Shake Challenge, the mannequin challenge made no sense and was done solely for the purpose of entertainment – and entertain it did, indeed.

4. 2012

I guess we all remember the time we all almost died. The Mayan calendar, known for its accurate predictions, predicted the end of the world on December 21, 2012. This sent the world into a frenzy, who started brainstorming the apocalyptic scenarios we might be faced with within a matter of months. And then of course there was a movie by the title 2012 and “end of the world” parties. The trend probably got out of hand when some people died due to heart attacks which were caused by the stress of the impending doom. Yikes!

5. Contouring

It doesn’t take a makeup artist to say when a trend has gone overboard. While contouring does have its upsides, an overly-contoured face is something straight out of a horror flick.

6. Gangnam Style

An overnight Korean hit took the world by a storm with its unique music, funky costumes and absolutely ridiculous (and fun) moves. For many months to come, the song was a staple at every party and even weddings.

7. Remakes & Remixes

I think we speak for everyone when we say – enough is enough! What might have started off as a LIVE action remake of Jungle Book has now become an avalanche of rebranded old scripts peddled in the name of nostalgia or tributes. The worst affected by this trend is probably Bollywood with remakes of movies from the 90s and early 2000s making their way to the silver screen. Bollywood is also a solo culprit of remixing (read: ruining) old classics with new hip-hop and electronic beats.

8. Tide Pods

This one was straight out of hell. Started by a joke about how Tide Pods looked like brightly coloured candies, the trend ended up landing a lot of teens in hospitals. The internet was taken by a storm with people now raising concerns about the sensibility of trends and how easily these trends were influencing the youth. Tide even released a statement asking people to not consume the product.

9. Neon Clothes

Neon is fun. They pop to the sight, they definitely stand out and they glow in the freakin dark. And while it’s fun to have these colours handy to add a pop of colour to your wardrobe, all-neon attires are just plain cringe.

10. VR Experience

Now, we don’t want to sound like “technology is bad” grannies, but the overuse of this beautiful piece of technology poses some serious health threats. Such close exposure to screens for extended or repeated durations of time can dry out one’s eyes and cause serious damage. While we all love the experience it brings, we’d suggest treading with caution and in moderation with this one.

11. Death-selfies

Selfies were all good and fun before people of the internet decided to risk their lives for some stunning clicks. Between 2011 and 2017, about 250 people succumbed to their deaths while trying to click the “perfect” picture in dangerous locations. Love your selfie, sure, but love yourself first.

12. Transparent/Plastic Clothing

Be it the sight of Kim K’s toes being squished to death in her transparent shoes or transparent jackets and t-shirt on the runway – we don’t wanna see them (pun intended). They provide no comfort, or sense of aesthetic to the attire and honestly look like neatly creased shower curtains most of the time.

Some we loved, some we would not curse upon our worst enemies, but these were some of the most ridiculous trends we picked from the past decade. Do you agree with our picks? Did we miss something? Let us know in the comments below.