Trend Taster: fake sign language edition
In this week’s edition of the Trend Taster, we round up the snackable trends, stats and insights from around the world, including:
Fake sign language
Date Like Goblins
Colour-blind accessible games
Next-gen e-bikes
Anti-detect browsers
Fake sign language
Signature, a charity for deaf communication and language qualifications, has launched a TikTok campaign to address the issue of fake sign language. While 75% of Gen Z trust TikTok for learning, including British Sign Language, the platform's #deaftok content is increasingly filled with inaccurate representations. Signature reports that 89% of people fluent in sign language have encountered fake sign in social media.
Date Like Goblins
Online dating is often challenging, especially for gamers who are frequently neurodivergent or introverted. Launching this fall, Date Like Goblins, named after the term “Goblin Mode” which means being unapologetically yourself, aims to make dating more casual and enjoyable for the gaming community. It allows users to connect via voice chat while playing video games, offering a comfortable environment for introverted or neurodivergent individuals, including those on the autism spectrum. Currently, interactions occur through Discord, with potential plans for in-app voice capability. What distinguishes Date Like Goblins from other gamer-focused dating platforms is its three modes: Normal (with profile photos), Goblin (no photos), and Halfling (photos revealed only upon mutual interest).
Colour-blind accessible games
Mattel is expanding accessibility in its card games, particularly for colour-blind players. The company plans to make 80% of its global games portfolio colour-blind accessible by the end of this year, increasing to 90% by 2025. For Uno, this involves adding shape symbols to cards alongside colours and numbers, allowing players to identify colours without relying on visual perception alone. The move addresses the needs of approximately 300 million people worldwide who experience colour blindness, as analogue games work to catch up with the accessibility standards already mandated for video games.
Next-gen e-bikes
Around 70% of Lime riders are men with an average age of 33. To attract more women and older adults, they are piloting two new vehicles, the LimeGlider and a next-gen e-bike. Lime is testing these new designs in Atlanta, Zurich, Seattle, and Zurich. The LimeGlider, with the performance of an e-bike and the feel of a moped, and the next-gen e-bike aim to provide a more inclusive and comfortable riding experience. Both vehicles feature lower step-through frames, smaller wheels and large front baskets designed for grocery bags, making them more accessible and practical.
Anti-detect browsers
GoLogin Browser, an anti-detect browser, allows users to mask their device identity to manage multiple online profiles, each with a unique digital fingerprint to appear authentic on websites. This is particularly useful for managing multiple social media accounts from a single device without being blocked. GoLogin is popular among e-commerce managers, affiliate marketers, social media agencies, journalists, and those seeking anonymous browsing. Founded in 2019, it has over 350K users. The rising trend of anti-detect browsers, which combine various privacy methods, has seen a 150% increase in search volume over the past two years.
