The decade is coming to an end, and it’s been a tumultuous one.
From the rise of political movements driven by social media to the growing distrust of such online platforms amid privacy concerns and foreign interference, the ways in which we consume and curate news have changed drastically.
Global News asked its readers to share their input and vote on what they thought was significant this decade.
What stood out to you during these past 10 years? Who do you think defined this decade?
Here’s a look at what readers had to say:
Top news events
This decade saw controversies that shook institutions, from the Catholic Church’s secrecy over sexual abuse to the decades of silence around harassment and abuse in Hollywood.
Political divisions also increased, from Britain’s historic 2016 vote to leave the European Union to Donald Trump’s controversial presidency in the United States.
Here are just a few of the news events you thought were the most notable:
Some people were surprised by the results of the poll:
Other newsworthy moments include Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s wedding as well as the death of Osama bin Laden.
Social media movements
Online activism and social media helped spark massive movements around the world, including the 2011 Arab Spring protests that toppled governments in the Middle East and #BlackLivesMatter, which brought the issue of police brutality and inequality to the forefront in the United States.
Other online movements included the #ALSIceBucket challenge, which used social media as a means to educate people about amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. The unique challenge went massively viral in 2014, and over 17 million people took part in the global campaign to help raise awareness about what it’s like to live with ALS.
Global News viewers voted for the #ALSIceBucket challenge as the most important social media-led movement of the 2010s.
Meme culture
From Pepe the Frog and Salt Bae to Side-Eye Chloe and Distracted Boyfriend, whether you like them or not, memes have been a defining facet of the decade.
Meme culture made it so that the most innocuous and mundane moments now have the potential to spread like wildfire, taking on new and sometimes hilarious lives of their own. No matter what you’re feeling, there’s probably a meme for that.
Here’s the meme you thought best represented the decade:
Viral trends
If there is any category that truly highlights how odd this decade has been, it’s this one.
Reminiscing on some of the viral movements of the decade is bound to be a confusing, albeit amusing, ride.
Remember planking? How about the smash hit Gangnam Style? Or the blue/gold dress debate of 2015?
Here’s what Global News audience members thought was the most memorable viral trend:
Top musicians
The 2010s dramatically changed the way we listen to music.
With the advent of streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, owning CDs is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Streaming gives us immediate access to artists’ entire repertoire of music in one quick and convenient place, right at the tips of our fingers.
Social media also gave fans unprecedented access to many of their favourite artists’ lives and gave artists the ability to showcase not just their music but also their personalities to their loyal followers.
For some musicians, the 2010s solidified their status as musical icons.
Drake was deemed Spotify’s most-streamed artist of the decade, while Ed Sheeran came in a close second followed by Post Malone, and Ariana Grande took the top spot for the decade’s most-streamed female artist.
Person of the decade
When we reflect on the 2010s, a handful of faces come to mind.
These people made a drastic impact this past decade, whether on a social, political or artistic level, and some have even taken a coveted spot in Time magazine’s annual Person of the Year issue.
Mark Zuckerberg built an empire with Facebook, while Greta Thunberg brought the issue of climate change to the forefront, empowering youth around the world to take action.
Malala Yousafzai took on the Taliban, demanding education rights for girls everywhere, and Donald Trump of The Apprentice fame became the 45th president of the United States.
Trump was voted by Global News audience members as the person of the decade.
There was a lot of conversation surrounding the poll, with over 47,000 people taking part in the vote. Some people complained there weren’t enough options presented:
Others, however, thought the results made sense:
Other notable picks, according to Global News readers, included Steve Jobs, Elon Musk and the Thai cave rescuers.
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