Our Top 5 Moments on Social Media from 2018

Social media is often the focus of intense scrutiny, whether it’s a security breach on Facebook or Instagram making unwanted changes. However, if you use any social media platform enough, you’ve probably seen the good as well. With the fast pace of social media, there have been so many moments that have been forgotten. From the outright absurd to the absolutely heartbreaking, we’ve gone back to January to find our top five moments on social media from 2018.

The Walmart Yodelling Kid

In March, Mason Ramsey was filmed in a Walmart store singing “Lovesick Blues.” The video quickly caught the attention of social media users from around the world. Within a few days over 25 million people had watched it. This led to Mason becoming a viral sensation and subsequently (because it is the Internet, after all) an internet meme. Since then, Mason has appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, at Coachella, and has signed a record deal with Atlantic Records and Big Loud.

#NeverAgain

On February 14, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida was the scene of a horrific tragedy. A gunman opened fire in the school, killing seventeen students and staff members and injuring seventeen others. Following the tragedy, survivors of the shooting banded together to create Never Again MSD, a student-led political action committee. Those involved with Never Again MSD are advocates for gun control, demanding tighter regulations to prevent gun violence. The organization utilized social media in order to gain support and the hashtag #NeverAgain spread around the world.

Yanny vs. Laurel

First, it was the gold vs. blue dress debacle, and this year it was Yanny vs. Laurel. In May, a poll was released on Twitter asking users whether they heard a man saying the original word “Laurel” or “Yanny.” This led to a widespread debate across the social media platform on what was actually being said. Even celebrities like Emmy Rossum and Chrissy Teigen got involved. Analysis of the sound frequencies have shown that both words are present, but it depends on whether you’re focussing on the higher frequency of “Yanny” or the lower sound of “Laurel.” Which do you hear? “Yanny” or “Laurel”?

The Royal Family

For those who keep up with the royal family, the wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry was one of the most highly anticipated events of 2018. If you don’t keep up with the royal family, you probably saw photos from the wedding on social media anyway. The official Kensington Palace account on Twitter and Instagram provide the public with updates on what the royal family is up to. This year has been busy for the royal family, from the wedding to the birth of Prince Louis, and finally the Duchess of Sussex’s pregnancy. However, our favourite moment is seeing Prince Harry introduce his wife to Daphne Dunne, a 98-year-old war widow. The pair have now met three times, sharing a heartwarming moment each time.

Oh Lawd, He Comin’

If nothing else, this photoshopped edit of a cat body-fat index which went viral in August will certainly make people laugh. Posted on Facebook by Emilie Chang, the “Chonk” photoshop classifies cats into a certain level of “chonk”-ness. If you own a cat or have spent time around them, you’ll understand the hilarity and accuracy of the image. After gaining traction on Facebook, it was posted onto Twitter where it has nearly 37,000 retweets and over 94,000 likes. The popularity of the image led to the creation of a subreddit called /r/chonkers, which continues to be posted on. Do you have a cat that hits the “Oh Lawd, He Comin’” category? Or is your cat “A Fine Boi”?

That wraps up our top five social media moments from 2018. Let us know which moment from this year was your favourite!