TikTok bans viral challenge, Broadway is back and Instagram retires swipe-up

August 29, 2021

TikTok takes a stance against the latest viral challenge, Broadway is back with a lineup of classics and Instagram has plans to replace the swipe-up Stories option. Let’s take a look at the recent trends as we gear up for a long Labor Day weekend!

Upcoming Holidays & Observances

  • Labor Day – September 6
  • Rosh Hashanah – September 6
  • Patriot Day -  September 11
  • Start of National Hispanic Heritage Month – September 15

 Trends You Should Know 

  • TikTok has spawned some of the wildest viral challenges, from The Flip Switch Challenge to The Renegade Challenge, but this summer’s “milk crate challenge” craze is causing more harm than good. TikTok has officially banned and deleted search results for the hashtag “milk crate challenge,” where creators stack milk crates in a pyramid and attempt to climb them like stairs. The videos always end with the crates wobbling and eventually toppling with the person going down in the crash. The “milk crate challenge” injuries prompted an orthopedic surgeon in Virginia to warn against the act, stating that emergency rooms are already overwhelmed with Covid-19 patients.
  • Broadway is back! After a year-and-a-half pause due to the pandemic, Broadway is ready to reopen to the public with a lineup of show favorites. To celebrate the return, theater owners, professionals and other stakeholders are launching This is Broadway, a celebratory initiative to announce Broadway’s return. Classics like “Hamilton,” “The Lion King” and “Wicked” will help kick-off Broadway’s official reopening.
  • Instagram retires the swipe-up link at the end of this month. We can just hear our favorite social influencers saying the words, “swipe-up here,” but that phrase is about to be a thing of the past. As part of its mission to improve Stories interaction, Instagram is changing the way external links are shared. Say goodbye to the swipe-up link and hello to the new Link sticker option. The sticker adds another way for users to have creative control by adding different sticker styles, resizing and placing them anywhere on the story for greater impact and promotion purposes. The Link sticker also supports further engagement by allowing users to receive feedback on a story, which wasn’t possible with the swipe-up link. For now, Link stickers are limited to verified profiles and those with more than 10k followers.
  • Southern Louisiana was hit by category four Hurricane Ida on Sunday. The National Hurricane Center said the storm surge could measure as much as 16 feet at Port Fourchon, where it made landfall. Videos show roofs being ripped from buildings as the storm carried in maximum sustained winds of 150 mph. Over 1.1 million are now without power in Louisiana and Mississippi. Ida hit on the 16-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, a storm that took the lives of more than 1,800 people. Our hearts are with those affected by this crisis.

Thanks for meeting us here on the blog, and we look forward to catching up next week after a long, relaxing Labor Day Weekend!

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