24 Social Media Moments That Literally Made 2018
So much happened in 2018, and social media was there to capture all of it. From the Winter Olympics—remember, we had a whole-ass Olympics this year—to the royal wedding, “Thank U, Next,” and everything in between, it feels like all the major moments in 2018 came with a viral tweet, Instagram caption, or hashtag. Like photographs, these digital posts will serve as mementos in the years to come. Simply put, we’ll always remember where we were when Kylie Jenner revealed the birth of her daughter—because she posted about it.
Like you have a top nine on your Instagram page, these 24 social moments, below, were some of the most buzzed-about of the year. In many ways, they defined the past 12 months—for better and for worse. Let’s take a look back, shall we?
After months of rumors and speculation, Jenner confirmed on February 4 that she’d given birth to a baby girl, Stormi Webster.
RiRi’s May 2 post set the Internet ablaze, with many women applauding her for challenging beauty standards.
“Been in Africa, what’d I miss ??” she wrote in June. Enough said.
PHOTO: Instagram
More women embraced their breakouts in 2018, including Kendall Jenner, who hit the Golden Globes red carpet with perfectly imperfect skin.
From selfie videos about her “feud” with Nicki Minaj to what happened with her ex-husband Offset, the Invasion of Privacy rapper used Instagram frequently this year to to keep fans in the loop.
We honored some of the survivors at the 2018 Glamour Women of the Year Awards.
Her disparaging comments against Valerie Jarrett led to the cancellation of the Roseanne reboot. A new spinoff, The Conners, emerged a few months later…without Barr’s character.
Selena Gomez, Lili Reinhart, Millie Bobby Brown, and Ariana Grande were among the stars who announced temporary hiatuses from Twitter or Instagram. Prioritizing yourself and your mental health is so important, and these women were shining examples of doing just that.
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PHOTO: Instagram
The KP Twitter and Instagram accounts were our lifelines this year to everything royal—particularly Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s wedding. (See also: Markle’s pregnancy announcement and the arrival of Prince Louis!)
The Bachelorette winner came under fire for problematic Instagram posts he “liked” before appearing on the show. He’s since apologized and is still with Becca Kufrin.
We bow down to one of the most iconic, game-changing beauty brands of 2018.
The pop singer kept mum about the death of her ex-boyfriend—until she posted this black-and-white photo of him. She went on to tribute him in other ways, including on her song “Thank U, Next.”
No celebrity made more of a splash on social media this year than Grande. Whether she was promoting her new album (Sweetener), her number-one single (“Thank U, Next”), or musing about her personal life (so many Pete Davidson subtweets), we paid attention to everything she posted. And still do.
Their relationship caught everyone by surprise—as did the Instagram post in July announcing their engagement. They went on to have more memorable Insta moments—Hailey “Bieber,” anyone?—but that initial engagement confirmation was the highlight.
I still hear both of them, to be honest.
Remember when people were jumping out of cars because of a Drake song?
https://twitter.com/berkleyannakin/status/1028823120084393984
The notorious tweeter made his return, for better or for worse—most of the times for worse. He managed to start feuds with John Legend and Drake, praise Donald Trump, and drag Kim Kardashian and Chrissy Teigen into the mess. And we haven’t even touched on the #IfSlaveryWasAChoice hashtag.
Too many moments to count.
https://twitter.com/VancityReynolds/status/980106135226212353
The EGOT one was especially A+.
She alleged sexual assault against Brett Kavanaugh, the conservative judge President Donald Trump nominated for for the Supreme Court. Women came out in droves to support her.
People first caught whiff of their relationship from a series of flirty Instagram likes and comments. Before we knew it, they were engaged—and the news cycle hasn’t been the same since.
The figure skater was the viral sensation of the 2018 Olympics. Reese Witherspoon even gave him a shout-out on Twitter!
The hashtag was used on the day of the Super Bowl, where Justin Timberlake took the stage at the halftime show. (Many have reexamined Jackson and Timberlake’s 2004 #Nipplegate controversy and believe she was unfairly criticized.)
https://twitter.com/MatthewACherry/status/959482120132476928
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