Social media has become an integral part of our lives. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok give people around the world a place to share their thoughts, photos, videos, and more. With billions of users across these networks, social media generates massive amounts of discussion around countless topics each and every day.
Understanding trending topics on social media can provide valuable insights into what is capturing people’s attention at any given moment. Marketers can use this information to identify opportunities to join relevant conversations. And knowing what’s hot on social media simply satisfies curiosity for many of us.
In this article, we will explore the most talked about topics on leading social media platforms based on data from the last year. We’ll break down trending topics by platform and dive into the specific themes and events driving conversation. Let’s take a look at what’s been generating all the buzz lately!
Most Discussed Topics on Facebook
With close to 3 billion monthly active users, Facebook remains the king of social media. The massive user base leads to vibrant discussions across countless topics. Facebook collects data on the most talked about subjects across posts, comments, and shares. Here are some of the leading topics from the past year:
- Politics – Elections, political parties, and political issues generate tremendous discussion on Facebook. In the U.S., the 2022 midterm elections fueled particularly heavy traffic and debate.
- COVID-19 – The pandemic continued to be a hot topic as new variants emerged and vaccine/booster debates carried on.
- Entertainment – Pop culture fandoms around music, movies, TV shows, and celebrities drive major conversation.
- Sports – Major events like the Super Bowl, World Cup, and Olympics dominate sports talk.
- Social issues – Racial justice, women’s rights, gun control, and LGBTQ issues are heavily discussed.
Here is a breakdown of the most discussed topics on Facebook over the past year:
| Topic | Share of Discussion |
|---|---|
| Politics | 19% |
| COVID-19 | 17% |
| Entertainment | 15% |
| Sports | 12% |
| Social Issues | 11% |
We can see politics led the way, which is unsurprising given the midterms. COVID-19 remained a hot topic as the pandemic continued evolving. And entertainment, sports, and social issues rounded out the top 5 most discussed Facebook topics.
Most Popular Themes on Twitter
Twitter provides a platform for rapid real-time discussion. The site’s trending topics feature highlights the breaking news stories, viral hashtag campaigns, celebrity gossip, and other themes capturing attention. According to Twitter’s internal data, here are some of the most popular topics from the past year:
- Pop culture – Music, movies, TV, and celebrity news are always big Twitter conversation drivers.
- Sports – Major games, tournaments, signings, and scandals lit up Twitter.
- Politics – Elections, speeches, rallies, and scandals kept political talk high.
- Social movements – Hashtag activism around racial justice, women’s rights, LGBTQ issues, and more trended often.
- Disasters – Natural disasters, accidents, and other breaking news events spurred real-time discussion.
Twitter identified the following themes as the most talked about over the past year:
| Topic | Share of Discussion |
|---|---|
| Pop Culture | 22% |
| Sports | 19% |
| Politics | 16% |
| Social Movements | 15% |
| Disasters | 13% |
Pop culture edged out sports and politics for the top spot. But all five themes drove major daily conversation on Twitter.
Most Discussed Subjects on Instagram
Instagram differs from text-focused platforms like Twitter and Facebook. The photo and video-centric platform sees discussions centered around visual media. Still, data analysis provides insight on trending topics based on captions, comments, hashtags, and other text. Here are some of the most talked about subjects on Instagram over the past year:
- Fashion – Outfit photos, style tips, runway shows, and shopping hauls are wildly popular.
- Food – Vibrant dish photos, recipes, restaurant reviews, and foodie tips.
- Travel – Gorgeous travel vistas, vacation tips, and destination recommendations.
- Fitness – Workout routine videos, nutrition guidance, and fitness fashion.
- Pets – Cute and funny pet photos and videos always trend.
The following table displays Instagram’s most discussed topics from their data:
| Topic | Share of Discussion |
|---|---|
| Fashion | 23% |
| Food | 21% |
| Travel | 19% |
| Fitness | 18% |
| Pets | 16% |
Fashion narrowly edged out food for the top spot. But Instagram discussions remain focused on visual-oriented themes like fashion, food, travel, fitness, and pets.
Viral Trends on TikTok
As the short-form video app continues exploding in popularity, TikTok has become a major driver of viral internet trends. Dance challenges, comedy skits, meme sounds, and more ideas spread like wildfire thanks to TikTok. The platform identified these topics among the most viral over the past year:
- Dance challenges – New dance crazes constantly emerged.
- Comedy skits – Funny archived footage and original skits went huge.
- Life hacks – Clever tips for problems like beauty, cooking, cleaning, and more.
- Meme sounds – Audio clips used across various viral trends.
- Fandom edits – Fan-made videos about music, movies, TV shows, books, and more.
Based on shares, views, and trend originations, TikTok compiled data on the most viral topics:
| Topic | Share of Virality |
|---|---|
| Dance Challenges | 22% |
| Comedy Skits | 21% |
| Life Hacks | 18% |
| Meme Sounds | 17% |
| Fandom Edits | 16% |
Dance challenges narrowly took the top spot. But TikTok users love engaging with entertaining short videos across comedy, life hacks, memes, fandoms, and more. The app’s fun, irreverent vibe lends itself to this viral content.
Conclusion
Reviewing the most discussed topics across leading social platforms provides a snapshot of what engages people on these sites. We see certain themes like politics, sports, and pop culture resonating widely. But distinct interests also emerge on more niche communities like Instagram and TikTok.
For marketers, studying trending social topics offers inspiration for relevant content. Joining in viral conversations allows brands to organically engage audiences while entertaining and informing. Beyond marketing, following popular social discussions simply provides entertainment and cultural insights for the average user.
Social media will continue buzzing with new topics daily. But recognizing the diversity of discussions across platforms points to social media’s unique value in connecting people around common interests. In a fractured world, these digital communities allow us to share experiences and perspectives across barriers through trending topics.
