Trends of the Decades - The 2010s

The final destination on our whistle-stop tour of the decades brings us to the door of 2010. It was a decade that had a definitive impact on the way we would approach the day-to-day. The little things that were once a part of the daily furnishings of life were usurped by technology and a world hooked into the internet.

Our music moved from physical media to drifting along on a stream direct to our ears, we were given so many options for TV and film in the home that we stopped watching and became lost in endless scrolling lists, and we suddenly found ourselves with hundreds if not thousands of friends, nearly all of whom lived in our phones and would be destined to never actually meet us. It was a time that was undeniably exciting, but ultimately left us longing for some of those forgotten simpler pleasures of life. Anyone for a second coming of vinyl records?

The Tempest Photography Timeline

For Tempest, the decade was an exciting one as the company expanded upon the oceans of the world. Tempest photographers became a part of the crew on a number of cruise liners, traversing the globe, camera in hand to capture the moments and magic of that once-in-a-lifetime adventure to far-flung locations.

Photography in the ‘10s

One word…Instagram. The rise of digital photography and the ever-more advanced mobile phone market meant that everyone had the power to snap incredible life moments – such as what they had for dinner – and share them with the world. And the world? Well, we couldn’t get enough.

Instagram offered a platform to share, and a whole generation of smart folk discovered they could cast themselves into the bright lights of stardom whilst also making a healthy living to boot. Photography in the ‘10s had never been more mainstream and accessible, and the millions of images that hit the internet every day offered everyone an outlet.

The Big Moments

The world fell in love with the characters and drama of a place called Westeros, as Game of Thrones fever hit and TV found a new groove. The show ran from 2011 to 2019, riding in on a wave of excitement, only to leave behind an army of disappointed fans after the season finale fell way short of expectations. Hey, the writers had been offered Star Wars, what were they to do if not rush through the Thrones ending? (They later lost Star Wars, which some – I’m not saying me - might call karma).

The nation enjoyed a Royal Wedding when Prince William married Kate Middleton. There was much rejoicing as this was surely the start of a new, relaxed, and happy time for the royals…moving on.

The true meaning of social media was seen first-hand when the whole world debated whether a dress was blue or gold. This little trick of the eye saw controversy, arguments, and very little reason spill across the socials. It was wild, it was weird, and can I just add…it was gold!

Around 2015 the world went mad for hoverboards! It became a Christmas must-have and proved absolute gold for the world of ‘fail’ videos as new owners found themselves crashing to earth or spinning wildly out of control to the delight of viewers everywhere.

Videogames had now become firmly embedded in the mainstream of popular culture, and this was the decade that brought us Minecraft. The sandbox game that allowed players to flex their creative muscles became a global hit with kids and adults alike and highlighted how gaming could be a force for good…at least that’s what I tell people when I’m building my own Minecraft empire!

The Soundtrack

This was the decade that gave us Taylor Swift…but it wasn’t all doom and gloom (I’m joking Swifties, I’m joking). It was also the decade that Disney songs became chart toppers thanks to films such as Frozen and Moana, and musicals like Hamilton and The Greatest Showman found their way onto Spotify playlists alongside Kanye, Cardi B, and Arctic Monkeys.

Our Favourites:

Taylor Swift – Shake it off

Robyn – Dancing on my own

Lana Del Rey – Video Games

Billie Eilish – Bad Guy

Arctic Monkeys – Do I wanna know?

Gotye feat: Kimbra – Somebody that I used to know

And there we have it! The end of the line. A trip through decades past that would make Marty and Doc proud. We saw highs and tasted lows, witnessed technology rise to gargantuan heights, and the occasional depths that humanity suffers. We all became more social whilst becoming less social on the back of Facebook and Twitter, but at least we knew what everyone was having for dinner thanks to Instagram.

Thanks for coming along. It's been fun, it’s been emotional, but now it’s history…literally.