Labubu Mania, Cheap Microtrends & Our Overconsumption Problem

We are modern times where the search interest in the word “microtrends” has actually reached a ten-year high, which is fascinating because it shows just how much we, as a society, are now looking for the next fleeting thing to latch onto, and one of the most interesting examples like the Labubu dolls.

These dolls were first released all the way back in 2015, didn’t really capture widespread attention until November of 2024, and from there, search interest continued to rise month over month, peaking in June of 2025. 

But, strangely it has dropped by about 20 percent as the hype began to die down, yet even as  the keyword “Labubu” continues to be top searched, it is not hard to wonder when will the hype die down. And others have been thinking the same, as Google Trends reported that people are searching “why are people obsessed with …” this year, which tells us something about our fascination with obsession itself.

Labubu’s, after all, are a trending microtrend that we have used to adorn our bags, pants and personal spaces with, which has been followed closely by camouflage pants and jorts.

These fast-changing in-moments are a reminder of the human capacity to accept and adopt the most ridiculous and random object as a marker of status. And, this is not random when we have brands selling us the cheapest, weirdest items at a chance to make money. 

Platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts accelerate this cycle as short-form content dominates our free time and mind. It has the capacity to take an incredibly niche topic and create viral demand overnight.

But the question we should face in midst of material overconsumption is which will be the microtrend final boss. It alludes that products can reach incredible influence and are treated as a serious element of curating our aesthetic life. 

I wouldn’t be surprised that those searching “microtrend final boss” would also be searching for things like “Brazil jersey outfit,” which kind of cements the idea that microtrends aren’t just fashion, but cultural moments, little snapshots of collective attention that can skyrocket in a few months and disappear just as fast. Trends often captivate us and then completely fade away into memory. 

A great example of vanishing microtrends would include whipped coffee, a top trending recipe in 2020. We also had the likes of birria tacos, which reached record search interest in 2021, and things like “Barbie pink,” which reached its record high in July of 2023. And the niches and subtleties of searches can surprise us, the human mind was actively searching for “Barbie pink gingham dress” and “Barbie pink jumpsuit”, not to mention that Barbie itself was the top trending movie that year.

We then went on in 2023 to adopt the “red boot trend,” which peaked in March, and in 2024, aesthetics really came into the spotlight with the “mob wife aesthetic” topping trends in January before slowly declining.

All the while, the “coquette aesthetic” reached an all-time high that same month, with terms like “coquette soft style” increasing over 550 percent and “bow coquette” over 350 percent. 

These moments showcase how the mania for products are temporary and continuously cyclical, often purchased based on impulsivity and emotions. However, these assumptions of emotional touchpoints are based on theories that what we buy affects how we feel.

It also alludes that we attach depth with materiality with our identity and self-expression. Google Trends search data report is a small capture of the cultural mood at a given time, but a total explanation for our intent. 

But, we must wonder how and why microtrends are deeply tied to pop culture and how they become a collective obsession almost overnight.  I hope more people are wondering about the effects of our shopping habits, since the keyword search for “overconsumption” was higher than ever over the past year. 

Even “how does overconsumption affect people” being the top trending question, and it’s hard not to notice how this intersects with behaviors like “shopping hauls,” which reached an all-time high in July 2025, and “back to school shopping haul” being a breakout search. 

Terms like “project pan” also reached their second highest point that same month and “no buy” also hit record highs, while the existential question “why do I have so much stuff” reached an all-time high in May, reflecting a broader cultural awareness, guilt, or maybe just curiosity about the accumulation of possessions.

Especially as we consume niche Pokémon cards, water bottles, books, clothes, and fast fashion, all staples of our overconsumption-driven culture. 

I encourage you to ask how your identity is wrapped up in these items, in microtrends, and in the constant chase for the next big thing, like the Labubu dolls, camouflage pants, and to all the little obsessions that define a moment in time. 

After all, these microtrends fade, they leave behind a footprint of how we live, how we consume, and how we, collectively, navigate the culture of attention.