Eff It: The Ick

The History and Perception of the Evolving Trend of the "ick."

Being a young college student, you have to keep up with the latest trends and pop culture. At Ball State, and many other universities, there are universal trends everyone talks about. Some recent trends this year include get ready with me, the vogue challenge, Celine Dion lip-sync challenge, and so much more. Today, one of the biggest trends on social media and Ball State is the ick trend. I think most of us are familiar with this trend and have a lot of icks on your personal list. The definition of an ick originated in the 80's as a word to describe something gross, repulsive, or yuck. Over time, the term ick has evolved and now has meaning that describes what it is like when a partner feels repulsed or turned off by their partner. Recently, the new digital age has shedded a new light on the term, making it explode as a trend across social media. The ick trend came from one of the contestants on the popular show, Love Island in 2017. This term was coined and became popular on the future seasons of the show. This spread of the term made its way to TikTok, where it exploded as a new trend.

Check out this article of the beginning on the ick!

Social Media's Role and Perception:

Like everything else, social media has elevated our culture and perception of most topics and has the ability to make almost anything viral. More specifically, TikTok has blown up so many people, trends, clips, and ideas and the ick trend caught that wave. TikTok breeds the idea of the ick trend and encourages others to talk about their icks in their relationships and to share their stories. This viral environment amplifies the overall impact of this trend.

Navigating The Ick:

Now that the ick is so apparent and relevant, there has to be a way to navigate the act of it in a relationship. It is easy to be head over heels in the beginning of a relationship, but it is also important to be aware of what causes an aversion to your partner. It is so important to understand what gives you the ick and ways to avoid getting attracted to people that do or have that ick. When you first do get the ick, take time to reflect and understand why this is occurring. If it is a small little incident that makes you cringe, there is always an opportunity to talk to your partner and communicate why you didn't like something or why it repulsed you. If your partner doesn't understand or continues to give you an ick, you can take that as a sign to move on. The ick is a natural instinct or reaction that comes from your gut, and you can try to understand why you get that feeling or you can find a new partner.

Ball State Students' Icks:

We asked our very own Ball State University students their icks and the answers did not disappoint. Reach out to us and leave a comment on your personal icks and tell us the story behind it! Here are some of the icks of our peers:

• "Smoking (vapes and cigarettes)"

• "When you can hear someone's music through their headphone/earbuds"

• "People who always have their auto caps on"

• "When guys wear flip flops"

• "When someone doesn't open your snapchat for DAYS"

• "Bad breath"

• "Swinging on a swing set"

• "Men jumping or riding a bike"

• "When someone has food on their face, don’t notice it, and keep talking"

• "Wearing belt loops at the bar"

• "Men chasing/running after a ping pong ball (especially if they are half bent over running)"

• "Poor posture"

• "Dry texting"

These icks are very unique to each individual but can be seen from a universal lens. A lot of the icks we heard from students were very similar to each other or had a common theme. What do you think? Do you have one of these icks, too?

Check out this TikTok of students like ours talking about their icks!

The recent trend of the ick has absolutely exploded the past few years and has taken social media and relationships by storm. The ick is an undeniable feeling one may get in the beginning of a relationship or future partner. This fascinating newfound aspect has reshaped what we think going into a relationship. With the help of the internet and social media, we are able to see the dynamic of the topic and the ability to share and relate to others' stories. The journey of the term has evolved and been adopted by almost everyone. The ick was an undiscovered term that we all have but now are able to throw a label on our feelings. It was so interesting to learn how miniscule mishaps have given people the ick and given everyone reasons to weed out their partner. As time goes on, we can keep continuing to evolve the term and trend. Now… What gives you the ick?