In a world of social media dominance, filters and hashtags, everyone is always trying to accurately describe to their followers what is going on in their world. Twitter has 320 million users, with around 15 million in the UK. We take a look at some of the most popular Twitter and Instagram hashtags #trends of 2015 and 2016 so far and the findings may shock you.

#2015 Trends

#Love

The most popular hashtag of Instagram last year was #love. The hashtag is as effective a photo caption for you and your best friends as it is for a delicious meal and a glass of much needed Prosecco. That’s a trend we can get behind! #love was crowned the hashtag winner of 2015 with a staggering 835 million photos using this caption.

#YearOnTwitter2015

Some of the most influential moments on Twitter are as staggering as the number one hashtag on Instagram. The top five hashtags on Twitter last year were #JeSuisParis, #BlackLivesMatter, #MarriageEquality, #RefugeesWelcome and #IStandWithAhmed – all positive outpourings to international political crises and moments in Paris, Syria, Europe and America. These hashtags show the positive power of social media and the way nations are able to unite during influential global moments.

#TheDress

Was it gold and white or was it blue and black? This was THE fashion dilemma that took the world by storm in 2015. The debate prompted 10 million tweets in the first week and social media users turned to scientists to answer the question of why people saw the same image differently? Apparently it’s all down to our brains, which devise strategies for working out colours of objects in different situations. But because we have different experiences, our brain models differ too. Interesting stuff or what?!

#2016Trends

CD Glasses Flicking

The first weird trend of 2016 has arrived; people putting CD’s on their glasses and flicking them forward. It really is as simple and as strange as that! The people of the Internet have so much time on their hands.

Making A Murderer

If you haven’t heard of Netflix’s latest viewing sensation Making A Murderer, then quite frankly where have you been? For the few who haven’t, the 10 part web series tells the captivating story of Wisconsin convicts Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey. In 2003 Steven Avery was released after serving 18 years of a 32-year sentence for rape, but after fresh DNA evidence for that case, he was cleared of the charge. Avery then filed a lawsuit for 36 million dollars of compensation but around the same time he was arrested again on suspicion of the murder of photographer Teresa Halbach. The series follows the twists and turns of the case.