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Instagram has launched a regional campaign to celebrate a form of connection emerging through Direct Messages (DMs).

Recognizing how the act of sharing relatable memes and light-hearted content with friends, family and acquaintances is evolving into a unique vehicle of social communication and bonding across all ages, Instagram is coining a new term, Trendships. 

A combination of “friendships” and “trends”, Trendships aims to capture how Instagram users leverage playful or meaningful content to stay closer to distant loved ones, express complex emotions, and even navigate cultural trends.

Completely organic, Trendships build on our ethos of connectivity and is anchored by the simple act of “sharing” – whether it was Reels, GIFs, videos, or memes - via DM. 

These unique exchanges, from humorous memes to motivational Reels, are redefining how we stay close to friends, family, and even acquaintances. 

Trendships are entirely community driven. The phenomenon picked up with the launch of Reels and quickly turned to a personal means of connection around the globe! Whether you’re chatting with your sibling, maintaining ‘low maintenance’ friendships, or you’re on a streak of sharing funny reels with your DM close circles, you’re forming Trendships!

The phenomenon gained traction with the launch of Instagram Reels and has rapidly become a bridge for individuals to communicate, engage and stay in touch.

“Trendships is not about sharing popular or viral content; it is about creating community over shared experiences and interests,” said Nada Enan, Head of Communications, Middle East & North Africa, Meta. “People are exchanging content that resonates, from humorous memes to motivational Reels, redefining how people nurture intimate connections, exchange values and, in many cases, let loved ones know they are thinking about them with just a few taps. It underscores how social platforms are increasingly pivotal to building community in our daily lives and evolving how we communicate in the digital era.” 

According to the latest stats from Meta, people reshare Reels over 3.5 billion times every day reinforcing how prolifically the platform is used to communicate and engage and how DMs are becoming a key part of our social and digital lives.

Embracing the new term, Instagram is bringing content creators across the Middle East, Turkey, and the broader African regions together to share their take on Trendships.

From rising creators such as  Anas El Hajj and Azam Alawaidhi exploring the phenomenon through anime to comics and sketches by meme-connoisseur Amina Hussein, explore how creators are jumping in on the #whatsyourtrendship campaign:

• Gloria Olorunto (@maraji_)
• Jesse Adisa (@papeeyah)
• Büşra Zeynep Çetin (@busrazeynepcetin)
• Elif Uluğ (@elifulugjp)
• Hilal Çavdaroğlu (@hilaryhyraa)
• Primo Baloyi (@primo9teen)
• Vafa Naraghi (@vafafrica)