Inept Adults' Perspective on Youth Trends: Widespread Disapproval Towards "Minecraft" Promo Video
This week's report covers various topics ranging from the unhappiness surrounding the latest Minecraft movie trailer, the controversial trend of "airport tray aesthetic", the copypasta meme "Dursting and Scrobbling", to the shocking viral video titled "SmartSchoolBoy9: An Internet Rabbit Hole".
Why's everyone hating on the Minecraft movie trailer?
With over 160 million active monthly players and first gaining popularity in 2011, Minecraft is quite a pioneer in the gaming world. Surprisingly, despite the anticipated live-action movie announcement, fans of this renowned game are far from thrilled. The trailer released by Warner Bros. this week is subject to much criticism, with harsh feedback from fans who dislike everything about it, from look and casting to the plot itself. With a meager 'like' to 'dislike' ratio of 617k to 1.3 million, it's safe to say the fans are not impressed.
Some YouTube comments highlight the loathsome nature of the trailer:
"This looks like a parody trailer a YouTuber would make to mock the idea of a Minecraft movie.""'Are you sure you want to delete this world? It cannot be undone.' Yes.""Aren't trailers supposed to make you want to see the movie?"
While it's understandable for fans to hope for a faithful adaptation, The Super Mario Bros. movie managed to connect with fans by staying loyal to the game's look and story, no such possibilities seem possible in the case of Minecraft. With little to no natural storyline and restricted visuals, it seems that the filmmakers opted for a "Minecraft-esque" appearance, differing from the original game's look and feel. Sticking to a kid-centric plot, it's uncertain if the film will appeal to the young target audience, so perhaps gamers should curb their animosity.
What even is this "airport tray aesthetic"?
In a recent trend report, prominent news outlets have tuned in to the peculiar habit of some image-conscious Gen Z travelers, capturing and sharing pictures and videos of their full trays in TSA lines at airports on social media platforms such as TikTok, Pinterest, and Instagram. This newfound trend, aptly titled "airport tray aesthetic", has stirred up lots of controversy and disgust amongst netizens.
However, taking a closer look, the overwhelming anger appears to be disproportionate to the extent of its practice. The term "airport tray aesthetic" seems to be a hot topic among online discussions, even though, in actuality, the number of people adhering to this 'trend' appears to be marginal. YouTube or Pinterest videos featuring neatly organized TSA trays might suggest a showcase of clout, but their popularity doesn't appear to be rapid or widespread. The widespread resentment could be nothing more than a typical "you damn millennials/gen z" moment, seizing every opportunity to criticize the generation.
What is Dursting and Scrobbling?
Internet wags have started using a new meme/copypasta to parody the sensationalist coverage by the mainstream media on social trends. It works by replacing the phrase "A 15-year-old boy has been hospitalized for attempting the dangerous TikTok trend of" with whatever frightening/absurd trend or behavior people would like to mock. Some examples include "Dursting", "Scrobbling", "Robot Rocking", "Weening Out" which has garnered humorous reactions, and let's not forget the outright banned "Porcelain Challenge".
Credit: @numetal_moment - X
The Wiretap: Chase Glitch
Some misguided geniuses started spreading rumors about a viral "free-money" hack on social media platforms like TikTok and X, dubbed "The Chase Glitch". The concept was simple: deposit checks immediately after entering them into your account, regardless of their authenticity. The story took flight quickly, leading to queues at Chase banks as people tried to cash in on the alleged scam. However, as one might have expected, this was bank fraud in its finest avatar. The Chase Bank swiftly issued a statement to distance themselves from the fraudulent activity and cooperating with the authorities to investigate the culprits. Hoping to profit with ill-gotten gains was one of the poorest decisions gamblers made this week.
Viral video of the week: SmartSchoolBoy9: An Internet Rabbit Hole
This week's viral video, titled "SmartSchoolBoy9: An Internet Rabbit Hole", serves as a somber reminder of the perils of the internet and the ease with which someone's private information can be exposed. The video explores the deep web, offering an inside view of the infamous "Dark Web", where personal data, often stolen through phishing and identity theft, is sold for a profit. It serves as a stark reminder of the importance of cybersecurity and responsible internet behavior.
Despite the jests about Dursting, the web indeed can be a chilling, perplexing, and risky domain, as this week's viral clip demonstrates.
YouTuber Nick Crowley is part of an expanding pool of creators scrutinizing the shadowy side of life and society: disappearances, deviants, demise—you get the gist. Crowley pushed the envelope by bringing Smartschoolboy 9 into the limelight, a frightening enigma dwelling in the grisly abyss of one of the scariest internet pitfalls.
As per the video, the unknown entity behind SmartSchoolBoy9 (formerly known as truth_sticks_11, girl-chloe12, stephanieschoolie) operated several Instagram accounts, masquerading as a kid or a child's parent, while simultaneously advising children and parents to beware of impostors pretending to be children for ill intent. The motive appears to have been interaction with real kids, although the specifics remain doubtful.
Crowley's video doesn't breach YouTube's stringent policies and there's no apparent offense on Schoolboy's (now deactivated) Instagram accounts. However, it all hints at something profoundly malicious lurking in the shadows, something more unsettling than any nightmare flick I've ever watched. I mean, simply look at this character:
Credit: Nick Crowley/YouTubeSince Crowley released this video, web detectives have been digging into the enigma of SmartSchoolBoy9, and attempting to associate it with a real person. While I'm not confident enough in the online sleuthing abilities to reveal the name linked to the accounts, if rumors are correct, SmartSchoolBoy9 has been up to their antics since the '90s.
Despite the backlash, the upcoming live-action Minecraft movie trailer continues to serve as a source of entertainment for those who enjoy analyzing and dissecting film adaptations of popular video games.
Meanwhile, the "airport tray aesthetic" has sparked much debate on social media, with some viewing it as a harmless trend and others finding it disturbing.
