Let’s See What 2023 Has In Store!

Happy belated New Years everyone. Last year was a crazy year filled with trending controversies. But then again, every year seems to be.

Still, there is always curiosity about what the new year has in store—what stories will dominate, what agendas will surface, and what public events will once again consume the attention of social media.

So far, there have not been any major controversies. Maybe whoever “they” are is taking a break. Or maybe nothing has happened yet that is big enough to set the public conversation on fire.

Early in the year can sometimes feel quieter. January often has a different energy—people recovering from the holidays, taking advantage of post-holiday sales, and resetting for the months ahead.

In moments like that, it can feel as if the media is easing up on the nonstop “breaking news” distractions and manufactured outrage cycles.

But that quiet never lasts long. Public controversy has become part of the rhythm of modern life, and experience suggests that plenty more is coming.

Spring and summer often become the busier seasons for public chaos—whether something is naturally outrageous, deliberately amplified, or simply turned into a bigger story than it deserves to be.

There will likely be racial controversies, political controversies, and philosophical controversies. A public figure will probably say something racist. A Black celebrity will probably say something that angers Black audiences. Another may say something “conscious” or “woke,” only to be mocked by mainstream media.

And once again, social media will light up with outrage, mockery, support, and endless commentary.

We already know how the pattern goes. People will ridicule the sellout, praise the one who seems to be riding for Black people, and build entire days of conversation around whatever soundbite is currently trending.

In that sense, the cycle has become familiar. It repeats often enough that it almost feels scripted, even when the original event may have happened organically.

At some point, the wiser move is not to be shocked by the pattern, but to recognize it quickly and keep it in perspective.

Instead of reacting to every headline, every celebrity statement, and every social media controversy, the more useful path is to keep building.

That means building in our communities, organizing economically, strengthening ourselves politically, and treating that work as a defense against mainstream nonsense.

Because more nonsense is definitely coming—not only in media, but across labor, law, the justice system, public figures, and whatever strange subcultures or ideologies get pushed next.

There is also the ongoing sense that many public figures are not fully independent. They operate within systems, follow incentives, and often move according to pressures far beyond what the audience sees.

That is why so much of what trends can feel controlled, guided, or at least carefully managed. Some stories rise because they are organic. Others rise because they are useful to the people with influence over platforms, coverage, and attention.

And once those stories reach our phones, they can feel unavoidable.

Of course, there will always be people who take every story at face value. They will consume whatever is placed before them without questioning the motive, the framing, or the timing.

That is part of why the cycle remains powerful. Many people are not only reacting to events—they are reacting to the packaging of those events, without realizing how much the packaging shapes the meaning.

And that makes critical thinking even more important.

So yes, let’s see what this year has in store. There will likely be new agendas, new propaganda, new distractions, and new controversies for the public to obsess over.

But the deeper challenge is not just predicting what will trend. It is deciding not to hand over your peace, your energy, and your focus every time the cycle begins again.

The more we understand how these patterns work, the easier it becomes to keep our attention where it belongs—on our own growth, our own communities, and the work that actually matters.