May 2026 Social Media Trends

An overview of May's top trends across social media and creators, along with some upcoming key moments to pay attention to.

Social Trends

Maxxing

The “maxxing” trend, a term based on “maximizing,” is all about focusing on improving specific areas of your life for personal benefit.

Creators and users across social platforms are sharing their own take on this trend, tailoring it to what they want to focus on, whether that is proteinmaxxing, selfcaremaxxing, hobbymaxxing, or solomaxxing. See example here.

CPG Example Share how you partake in cleanmaxxing by giving your space a little reset, whether that is a weekly deep clean or a simple post-dinner tidy-up. Lean into the small, often avoided tasks and turn them into part of your routine to keep your space feeling fresh and put together.

My Top 5 Horror Stories

Who doesn’t love a personal reflection and crash out moment? Social media users are ranking their five most chaotic, embarrassing, stressful, or absurd real-life experiences and framing them as their personal horror stories.

Sometimes it’s old versions of themself, an ex, friendships, and sometimes just an inconvenient everyday situation worth loathing. See example here.

Beauty Example Running out of your favorite products? Instant nightmare. Beauty brands can tap into the “Top 5 Horror Stories” trend by using text overlays like “When I run out of…”, each spotlighting a different must-have product.