The A to Z of things we were obsessed with in the 2010s

If you didn’t have smashed avocados for brunch, did you even have brunch? From our Insta feeds to our breakfast plates our love of the humble green food stuff has permeated all areas of our lives this decade. But environmental concerns has caused some to speculate that our avo-obsession could be on the wane. And it’s not the only ‘A’ that has defined a decade. We listened to Ariana Grande, we wore athleisure EVERYWHERE and we spent summer nights downing Aperol Spritz. [Photo: Getty]

In previous decades facial hair has had its moment, but the 2010s saw our bushy beard love reach fuzzy new heights. Despite a 2015 report about beards being full of faecal bacteria threatening to put an end to the furry fad, we’re still showing no signs of reaching peak beard. Other ‘Bs’ making their mark on the decade include K-pop band, BTS, who have stolen the World’s biggest boyband crown from the likes of the Back Street Boys, and barre which outed yoga as our fave form of fitness. [Photo: Getty]

In our food, our beauty products and even our medicine cabinets, CBD is the wellness term on everyone's lips right now. The chemical compound, naturally occurring in cannabis plants, won’t get you high, but according to fans will provide a whole host of other purported effects. The 2010s was also the decade that brought us the online Challenge. While children daring each other is nothing new, filming themselves eating a spoonful of cinnamon and uploading it to social media is so 2010+. [Photo: Getty]

Ever since Kate Middleton confirmed her engagement to Prince William back in 2010 wearing that iconic sapphire blue Issa dress, the ‘Kate effect’ has been in full swing. But Meghan Markle’s arrival on the royal scene later in the decade also saw an unprecedented buying power with her outfits crashing websites and prompting thousands-long wait lists. In fact, earlier this year the Duchess of Sussex was crowned Lyst’s most powerful dresser. And it isn’t just their style prowess that has had us all fascinated this decade. From their pregnancies to their parenting styles, their charity work to their royal tours, if the Duchesses were doing it, we wanted to know about it. No wonder they both made Yahoo UK’s list of most-searched for royals. [Photo: Getty]

At the start of the decade we chuckled if someone sent us an aubergine emoji, but by the end of it the little digital images are everywhere and we're totally obsessed. Recent stats reveal over 90% of the world’s online population uses them, and last year they thrashed other contenders to be named Oxford Dictionary’s Word of the Year. *Shocked face emoji* Other Es worthy of note include Emma Watson who has achieved just as much off screen as she did on screen at Hogwarts. As well as regularly featuring in the TIME 100 list and topping best-dressed lists, the former Hermione Granger has spent the decade proving she’s not just an actress, but also a compelling activist whom everyone can look up to. Oh and we have to give a shout out to Ed Sheeran who has dominated the UK charts for almost the entire decade. [Photo: Getty]

It wouldn’t be a decade round-up without a mention of the Disney hit that dominated the box office and saw an unprecedented spike in little girls (and boys) heading out to pre-school in their ice, blue Elsa dresses. But there were plenty of other ‘Fs’ helping to define the decade. When it came to gaming Fortnite reined supreme with kids becoming obsessed with the shooter game in which 100 players fight (as well as building or hiding) to survive in ‘Hunger Games’-like fashion. The cult game has even spawned its own version of another F obsession, the Floss, which characters often carry out as a celebration. Other Fs that permeated our lives in a pretty big way include Fitbits, flower crowns and ‘Fleabag’. [Photo: Getty]

This delightfully British show about sponge fingers and soggy bottoms is now in its tenth series, and is every bit as comforting as the scones it spews. Despite the controversy surrounding a change of channel and lead presenters, the unassuming baking programme seems to be showing no signs of dipping in popularity. Other televisual ‘G’ obsessions include ‘Game of Thrones’, which rounded up it’s 8-year fantasy rein with a controversial final season (over 1.7 million people cared enough about it to sign a petition demanding a remake), while ‘Gogglebox’ a programme on TV about people watching TV on TV came from nowhere to become the biggest thing on our telly boxes . We can’t move on to the Hs without giving a nod to Goop. Started in 2008 by actress turned entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrow, the ‘wellness’ brand is now estimated to be worth $250m. But it hasn’t come without controversy. Who could forget the drama over the selling of jade eggs which were meant to be shoved up one’s vagina? [Photo: PA]

Influencing everything from beards (see B) to baby names, this decade saw the rise and the rise of the hipster. When they weren’t eating avocados on toast in their hipster cafes (see ‘A’), trimming their beard (see ‘B’) or taking a selfie for social media (see ‘S’), they were donning their on-trend trainers (‘T’) to head to a trendy gastro-pub for an Aperol Spritz (Also ‘A’)! We can’t leave the H’s before a mention of the phenomenon that is ‘Harry Potter’. After captivating fans for 14 years, one of the world's most popular franchises came to an end when the eighth and final instalment in the Harry Potter film series hit theatres on July 15, 2011. Oh and after kissing goodbye to Harry, Hermione and co, everyone spent 2013 doing the Harlem Shake. The viral meme sensation saw thousands share their version of the dance set to the electric song by DJ Baauer on the daily. [Photo: Getty]

It feels like it’s been in our lives forever but in fact iPads have only been around since April 2010, with critics initially panning it as merely a bigger version of the iPhone. Fast forward to 2019 and the tablet has undoubtedly become the device of the decade, with more than 360 million iPads sold since it’s wobbly debut. In the same year as the iPad, Instagram, an unknown photo-sharing app was launched, and with it came a whole new breed of Internet star - the influencer. No fewer than one million users signed up to Instagram in less than three months and in June 2018, Instagram hit a whopping 1 billion monthly active users. And no round-up of 2010s most note-worthy Is would be complete without a nod to the Ice Bucket Challenge. Yep remember that time when your Facebook newsfeed was filled with videos of people dumping ice-cold water on themselves, then urging their mates to do the same? After going viral in the summer of 2014, the challenge went on to raise $115 million for ALS awareness and research. [Photo: Getty]

Jennifer Lawrence began her decade with a critically acclaimed and ultimately Oscar-nominated performance in ‘Winter’s Bone’ (2010) and via further award recognition for roles in ‘X-Men: First Class’ and ‘The Hunger Games’, she headed back to the Oscars in 2012, with a gold statue in her pocket for ‘Silver Linings Playbook’. But having stumbled as she climbed the steps to collect her gong, the actress also earned herself the reputation as being one of the world’s most relatable stars. We love you Jennifer Lawrence. [Photo: Getty]

At the start of the decade the Kardashian-Jenners were just a wealthy family living in California. By the end of it they had taken over everything. From Kylie breaking the internet with her photo of daughter Stormi (liked 18.6 times on Instagram); to Kim’s shapewear line, Skims, selling out within minutes and Khloé’s co-launch of her body-positive denim brand Good American raking in $1million on launch day alone, the 2010s will be remembered for the decade the family took advantage of the fast-evolving social media and personal branding world. And built an entire empire. Other notable Ks include the Keto diet, which everyone experimented with, and ‘Killing Eve’ which quickly became our new Netflix and fashion obsession (That pink dress worn by Jody Comer was a particularly plus point!) [Photo: Getty]

In the summer of 2015, no one could have predicted a ‘Love Island’ reboot was going to turn out to be one of the most popular programmes on TV. But this year’s finale broke records to become the show’s most watched final in its history – and the most watched episode of this series. It seems summer wouldn’t be summer without our fix of the loving and losing of ‘Islanders’, so much so that the show has even spawned it’s own lingo and has now been commissioned to run in the winter too. [Photo: ITV]

If decades were defined by dress lengths the 2010s would undoubtedly be the midi. Case in point: that Zara dress, you know the white polka dot spotty midi we all wore to death and that took over Instagram this summer. Another decade defining ‘M’ is the #MeToo movement. After Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein faced many public sexual abuse allegations in early October 2017, the #MeToo hashtag spread virally on social media, becoming a rallying call to action for millions to share their own experiences of sexual harassment. And what M round-up would be complete without a mention of mindfulness, the ‘living in the moment’ wellness trend promising to help reduce our stress, focus our attention and generally improve our lives. [Photo: Getty]

Remember when you had to wait an entire week to watch the next episode of your favourite show? Well that all changed in 2012 thanks to Netflix dropping an entire series all at once. Yep at the beginning of the decade binge TV was born and the future of television was altered forever. The streaming service even helped provide a pretext for inviting someone over for casual sex - ‘Netflix and chill.’ [Photo: Getty]

Barrack Obama may not have been President for all of the decade but our Obama obsession has continued. Despite keeping a relatively low profile since leaving the White House, Barack and Michelle Obama remain the most admired man and woman in America. Another O that dominated the decade was the insanely popular One Direction. It used to be that boy bands were the domain of the tween, but since bursting onto the pop scene back in 2010 their popularity seems to have spanned generations. [Photo: Getty]

Ah, that wonderful time when we were all wandering the streets with our eyes glued to our screens trying to spot another Eavee. The launch of the augmented reality mobile game in the summer of 2016 took the world by storm. The 2010s also marked our obsession with Podcasts. No doubt we were all a bit sniffy when the idea of downloading an audio file of someone talking was first suggested, but now these little chunks of audio have become a cultural phenomenon. There are now an estimated 660,000 podcasts in production keeping millions of listeners glued to their headphones. What’s more, the first two seasons of the most popular podcast of all time, ‘Serial’, has been downloaded 340 million times. [Photo: Getty]

Ok so Her Majesty could probably feature in a round-up of the last six or so decades, but in the 2010s Queen Elizabeth II continues to reign supreme in the popularity stakes. In the annual YouGov poll, participants described the monarch as “admirable, hard-working, respected and dedicated” - earning her an impressive 72% positivity rating. It may be a recent obsession but TV programme, ‘Queer Eye’, deserves recognition in the round-up. The Netflix reboot of the reality makeover series features a team of five gay men making over the lives of, usually heterosexual men in preparation for a big life event and is literally receiving all the love right now. [Photo: Getty]

With reducing our plastic consumption becoming an urgent priority during the 2010s, the decade has also been defined by the rise of reusable water bottles. As well as helping the environment, fancy water vessels have also become something of a style statement. A quick scroll of Instagram will reveal reusable bottles lurking in a whole swathe of snapshots. And the water-bottle trend shows no signs of slowing. [Photo: Getty]

Sure Twitter and Facebook was already a feature when the decade began, but the growth of social media during the 2010s has meant it has fast become ingrained in our every day lives and lead to an entire shift in the way people interact. But while trading tweets, memes and photos is undoubtedly fun, the knock-on effects on human behaviour and mental health hasn’t been entirely positive. The social media phenomenon is also intrinsically linked with another S of the decade. Yep the 2010’s saw selfies arrive and they’re probably here to stay. Other Ss worthy of mention include Spotify (access to the entire music playlist whenever you want it), Street Style (turning every road into a catwalk) and Slime (we’re still picking the homemade gunk out of our carpets!). [Photo: Getty]

No longer do we have to squeeze our pincers into totteringly high heels now that the humble trainer has become a style statement. Yep the 2010s became the decade trainers graduated from sporting essential to fashion must-have, worn with everything from haute couture ball gowns to wedding dresses. The 2010s also became the decade people declared #TimesUp on sexual harassment. And a mention of the most dominating Ts would not be complete with a nod to Tinder, the dating app that has transformed the way people meet with one quick swipe. So much so that 2037 is the year it’s predicted that more babies will be born to parents who met online than offline. [Photo: Getty]

Remember when the only way to get home after a night out was to cross your fingers and pray for a taxi? And then came Uber. The app was revolutionary in eliminating the hassles of trying to nab a ride after a night on the tiles. Other reasons people fell in love with Uber was the fact that it was cashless and often cheaper than traditional metered taxis, and it was a heck of a lot more of an attractive prospect than the night bus. But Uber hasn’t been without controversy. As Uber continued to grow, local taxi firms and unions protested. The company has also faced safety concerns after several reported cases of sexual assault. Most recently Uber has been stripped of its London licence after authorities found that more than 14,000 trips were taken with drivers who had faked their identity on the firm’s app. Moving onto an entirely different U, aside from trainers the decades other footwear of choice was the shapeless, sheepskin boots known as UGGs. Sure they’re warm and cosy, but like their Croc counterparts UGGs are equally as divisive courting much sartorial scrutiny for their crime of being ‘ugly’. [Photo: Getty]

At the start of the decade smoking in England had fallen to a historic low of 19.6%, a figure that continued to fall until in 2018 it stood at just 16.3%. But while smoking fell out of favour, vaping is very much in it. Yep, the number of vapers has been increasing rapidly - from about seven million in 2011 to 41 million in 2018. And despite some health warnings, the e-cig smoke doesn’t look set to clear just yet. It used to be that the non-animal product options on the menu were limited, now vegans can’t move for plant-based options. In just a four year period, the number of vegans in the UK has increased fourfold, quadrupling from 150,000 vegans (0.25% of the population) in 2014 to 600,000 (1.16%) in 2018. Eateries which may once have posed a problem for vegan eaters, such as burger chain McDonalds, now have specific vegan options on their menus. No wonder The Economist dubbed 2019 ‘The Year of the Vegan’. [Photo: Getty]

We already had text messaging, so why would we need another app to message friends? But while SMS was costly and limited. With WhatsApp you could send messages to other users without counting words, or paying for every message. What’s more you can also send voice calls, recorded voice messages, video calls, images, documents, and user location. No wonder more than 1 billion people in over 180 countries use the messaging app to stay in touch, making it the third most downloaded app of the decade, behind Facebook and Facebook messenger. Onto another W. The Women’s March. On the first day of Donald Trump's presidency, millions of people took to the streets to protest, with the Women's March drawing over 5 million people in over 600 marches across the world. [Photo: Getty]

Or the decline of. At the beginning of the decade talent shows reigned supreme, by the end, however, X Factor and others have seen viewers switching off in droves. Sure Simon Cowell isn’t going to give up without a fight, but it remains to be seen whether reboots such as Celebrity X Factor will breathe new life into the brand or whether the 2020s will realise it is one TV format whose moment ended with the popping of the new decade champagne. [Photo: ITV]

At the start of the decade YouTube was just 5 years old and the concept of being a full-time YouTuber seemed unbelievable. Fast forward ten years and turns out millions are making an actual living by uploading videos of themselves to the internet! [Photo: Getty]

Millennials are so 00s don’t you know? Generation Z, Or Gen Z for short, is the demographic cohort succeeding their millennial counterparts. While there are a few conflicting ideas about when this generation starts, most believe they are typically born between 1995 and 2015. Gen Z’ers have been raised on the internet and social media, and have never known life without tech. Maybe that will explain why their alternative name, coined by American psychologist Dr Jean Twenge, is iGen. [Photo: Getty]