digdig Announces "2026 First Half Trends Chosen by Gen Z and Gen Alpha"!

digdig Inc. conducted a trend survey targeting readers of its media outlets, focusing on Gen Z and Gen Alpha females, and announced the "2026 First Half Trends Chosen by Gen Z and Gen Alpha."

This ranking was created by conducting a survey in May and compiling the results to look back at the trends that garnered attention in the first half of 2026. The categories covered are "SNS Words," "People," "Things," "Apps," "Characters," and "Idols," totaling six categories.

Furthermore, it captures the "real present" of young people sensitive to fashion, SNS, and culture, providing valuable hints for understanding ever-changing trends.

[Survey Overview]

*When using the survey results from this release, please clearly state "Survey by digdig."

Survey Name: 2026 First Half Trends Chosen by Gen Z and Gen Alpha

Survey Period: May 20, 2026 (Wed) - May 21, 2026 (Thu)

Survey Method: Instagram survey feature

Target Audience: Followers of our company's Instagram who are primarily supported by Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

"@velle.jp", "@retlog_official", "@peeps.mag", "@ssd_by_digdig", "@zirai_zyoshi"

Number of Valid Responses: 26,039 (Multiple selections OK)

Survey Results Summary

2026 First Half Trend Tendency 1: Boom in "Verbalization" of Social Satire and Human Relationships

In the SNS Words category, while social and human relationship criticism/satire keywords like lookism satire and frenemy ranked in the Top 2, the third place "〇〇 de Metsu" was a positive phrase expressing enthusiasm for oshi-katsu (supporting idols/characters) and things they love. Including "constructionネタ" (meme-like phrases) such as Kansai-ben memes and Tagosaku sentences, it suggests the establishment of a culture of empathy through wordplay.

2026 First Half Trend Tendency 2: Comprehensive Retro Revival

In the Things/Events category, sticker trading, Tomodachi Collection, and gachapon, and in the Characters category, Tamagotchi, Monchhichi, Jewelpet, and Usahana, retro content occupied almost all of the rankings. A reverse import phenomenon is evident, where things that should be "unknown culture" to Gen Alpha are spreading as fresh culture through Gen Z's SNS posts. As a counter to digital fatigue, the return to analog, handmade, and collection culture is accelerating.

2026 First Half Trend Tendency 3: AI Shifts to "Tool for Self-Improvement from Information Gathering," Idol Groups Originating from SNS Dominate

In the Apps category, "setlog" took first place, surpassing ChatGPT, which held the top spot last time. Including Meitu (AI beauty editing) in third place, the usage of AI is shifting from "information gathering" to "refining and recording one's own visuals." In the Idols category, all five ranked groups were Japanese idol groups, with groups that expanded their reach to young people starting from SNS and TikTok occupying the top positions.

[Buzzworthy SNS Words]

◼️ 1st Place: "Lookism Satire"

・I see it often! It's awful, I think lol (20 years old/3rd year university student/Female)

・It often appears on TikTok, and it's shocking every time. (20 years old/2nd year university student/Female)

◼️ 2nd Place: "Frenemy"

・I use it a lot in conversations with friends! (20 years old/3rd year university student/Female)

・When I was exposed in front of everyone, I felt "that person is a frenemy." (20 years old/3rd year university student/Female)

◼️ 3rd Place: "〇〇 de Metsu"

・I have the impression that high school students use it, so I don't use it much... (23 years old/Working adult/Female)

[Buzzworthy People]

◼️ 1st Place: "Hayato Sano"

・He's handsome! I knew him from dramas, so I'm happy he's trending! (20 years old/3rd year university student/Female)

・He has a strong image as an actor! (22 years old/Working adult/Female)

◼️ 2nd Place: "Miyako"

・His personality and movements are strange and funny. (19 years old/2nd year university student/Female)

・His way of speaking is unique, and it's satisfying to watch him say things bluntly that others can't. (20 years old/3rd year university student/Female)

◼️ 3rd Place: "Shinsekai Members"

・I'm looking forward to seeing what happens to both the debuting members and those who didn't make it! (22 years old/Working adult/Female)

・It's painful but I can't stop watching! Shion, debut!! (20 years old/3rd year university student/Female)

[Buzzworthy Things]

◼️ 1st Place: "Sticker Trading"

・I'm not a hardcore fan, but I buy them when I see them. (23 years old/Working adult/Female)

◼️ 2nd Place: "Tomodachi Collection"

My friend made it for me! I'm happy! lol (19 years old/1st year university student/Female)

◼️ 3rd Place: "Dubai Choco Mochi"

・Recently, many people are making it themselves, and I often receive it! (20 years old/3rd year university student/Female)

[Buzzworthy Apps]

◼️ 1st Place: "Set Log"

・I use it with my family!! (20 years old/3rd year university student/Female)

・It's more troublesome than BeReal, but it's fun and new, so I'm hooked. (20 years old/2nd year university student/Female)

◼️ 2nd Place: "ChatGPT"

・I use it often in my private life too! (20 years old/2nd year university student/Female)

◼️ 3rd Place: "Meitu"

・I can't live without Meitu!! (19 years old/2nd year university student/Female)

[Buzzworthy Characters]

◼️ 1st Place: "Tamagotchi"

・The Tamagotchi gachapon is so popular that I've given up. I want to get one! (23 years old/Working adult/Female)

◼️ 2nd Place: "Monchhichi"

・It's the character I've seen the most recently! I imagine everyone is wearing the marker charms. (20 years old/2nd year university student/Female)

◼️ 3rd Place: "Rilakkuma"

・It's been reigniting recently! (19 years old/2nd year university student/Female)

[Buzzworthy Idols]

◼️ 1st Place: "M!LK"

・I have the impression that their songs are catchy and amazing! (23 years old/Working adult/Female)

◼️ 2nd Place: "Monaki"

・They are close to their fans, and clips of them often circulate! (23 years old/Working adult/Female)

・It's addictive, a type I haven't seen before, and I watch it when it appears. (20 years old/3rd year university student/Female)

◼️ 3rd Place: "iLife"

・I often think, "This song is by iLife too!" (21 years old/4th year university student/Female)

digdig Trend Department Analysis!

In the first half of 2026, SNS showed a high level of empathy for content that verbalized vague feelings about society and human relationships. In the SNS Words category, while lookism satire and frenemy, along with critical keywords, ranked in the Top 2, "〇〇 de Metsu" ranked third as a phrase expressing enthusiasm for oshi-katsu and beloved things. Including "constructionネタ" (meme-like phrases) such as SNS memes and Tagosaku sentences, it suggests the establishment of a culture of empathy through wordplay.

In the Things/Events and Characters categories, retro content such as sticker trading, Tomodachi Collection, Tamagotchi, and Monchhichi dominated the rankings. A reverse import phenomenon is evident, where content spreads to Gen Alpha through Gen Z's SNS posts, and a return to analog and collection culture is considered to be accelerating.

In the Apps category, the coordinate recording SNS "setlog" took first place, surpassing ChatGPT. The AI beauty editing app "Meitu" also ranked third, indicating a shift in AI utilization from "information gathering" to "refining and recording one's own visuals."

Over 1 Million Total Followers! digdig's "SNS Operation Consulting" Connects Brands with Gen Z and Gen Alpha

digdig operates multiple fashion-focused SNS media outlets enthusiastically supported by Gen Z and Gen Alpha, with a total follower count exceeding 1 million.

Leveraging their strength in creating trends from SNS by capturing the real sensibilities of young people, they have established new fashion genres.

A prime example is "Peeps." Born from the Instagram account <@peeps.mag> in 2018, its street fashion style based on purple, black, and yellow became a hot topic. It achieved socially phenomenal popularity among those in their teens and 20s, creating an image editing boom with "#ピープス加工" (Peeps Processing).

Utilizing the know-how cultivated in creating such SNS-driven culture, they also handle SNS operation support, PR planning, and influencer strategies for numerous apparel brands and manufacturers. Their track record includes major domestic and international fashion brands, cosmetic brands, and apparel e-commerce businesses.

Companies wishing to hear the real voices of Gen Z and Gen Alpha or strengthen their SNS strategies are welcome to contact us at the following:

・contact@digdig.inc

Company Profile

Company Name: digdig Inc.

Date Established: March 18, 2019

Representative: Yang Chengjun

Location: 1-26-4-302 Shoto, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Corporate Site: https://digdig.inc