In the AI slop-loaded, algorithm-powered modern reality, trends come and go — and the tech industry is no different. For the last few years, The Verge staff has compiled a selection of things that are IN for summer and OUT for summer — and each time there are some strong feelings. (Here are the last two years’ predictions.) Let’s do it again!
IN
OUT
|
| Motion sickness glasses | AI “pervert” glasses |
| Fiber | Protein |
| Bootleg sports merch | Official tech company merch |
| Floating in water | Touching grass |
Meredith Haggerty, editor
IN
OUT
|
| The great New York renaissance | The Great American State Fair |
| The Knicks garbage can | Taylor Swift’s MSG wedding |
| The Invite | Believing Olivia Wilde is a bad director |
| Seeing through your own human eyes | The Kylie Jenner Meta glasses |
Hayden Field, senior AI reporter
IN
OUT
|
| The NYC ferry | The NYC subway (sorry it’s too hot rn) |
| Using AI to draft letters to your landlord | Using AI to draft breakup texts, or anything else personal |
| Letterboxd | Threads |
| Absolutely unhinged design ideas that AI could never come up with | Millennial minimalism |
Victoria Song, senior dystopia reviewer
IN
OUT
|
| Flintstones vitamins | Gray market peptides |
| Drugstore moisturizer | Looksmaxxing |
| The FDA approving a new sunscreen filter | Whatever it is RFK Jr. is doing |
| Writing in an analog journal | AI wearables that record everything you do |
| Accepting we will all die | Whatever it is Bryan Johnson is doing |
IN
OUT
|
| EverQuest (2026) | EverQuest (1999) |
| Entire bootleg movies on TikTok | 20-part “story” edits on TikTok |
| Boston as the most Scottish city in the US | Boston as the most Irish city in the US |
Kevin McShane, editorial director audio/video
IN
OUT
|
| A single plain text file | Vibecoding your own to-do app |
| Silo season three | Ted Lasso season four |
| Vertical sitcoms | Vertical dramas |
Kevin Nguyen, deputy editor
IN
OUT
|
| Any movie theater that does not serve food to your seat | Alamo Drafthouse |
| Proton Mail | Gmail |
| Buying refurbished devices | Buying new devices |
Marina Galperina, senior tech editor
IN
OUT
|
| Leaks | Press releases |
| Practical effects | Generative AI in movies |
| Making computers | Buying computers |
| Webrings | X, the everything app |
| Letting your phone battery die | Doomscrolling |
Gaby Del Valle, policy reporter
IN
OUT
|
| Being a bandwagon sports fan | Rivalries – lifelong, heated, etc |
| Gelato | Frozen yogurt |
| Dua Lipa’s joie de vivre | Kylie Jenner’s whole deal |
| Mineral sunscreen | Beef tallow “sunscreen” |
Antonio DiBenedetto, reviewer
IN
OUT
|
| Friendslop games | Live-service games |
| Expensive PC gaming | Expensive console gaming |
| xboX | XBOX |
Liz Lopatto, senior internet typist
IN
OUT
|
| Unconstitutional Iran war | Peace |
| The shortest inseam you can find and/or make | Pants |
| Ceasefire | Unconstitutional Iran war |
| World Cup | Owala tumblers and other adult sippy cups |
| Unconstitutional Iran war | Ceasefire |
| Major League Cricket (Go Unicorns!) | Major League Baseball |
| Ceasefire | Unconstitutional Iran war |
| McCartney II | Taylor Swift |
| Unconstitutional Iran war | Ceasefire |
| Excommunication | JD Vance |
| Ceasefire | Unconstitutional Iran war |
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