Twitter’s top moments in Australia revealed that this year, not unlike last, has been a unique one for us Down Under but our sense of humour and shared love of sport were a few things that helped us get through together.
Twitter has been focused on serving the public conversation while connecting people with the communities and conversations they care about most.
From COVID to Tokyo2020 to March4Justice to Squid Game, Twitter’s users saw these conversations come to life on the platform.
If there was one sign that some form of normality was resuming, even though #COVID was (or is) very much part of our everyday lives, it’s that after being knocked from the top spot for the first time last year, #auspol is back at the pole position for top hashtags of 2021.
A Nation that Values Humour
As we reflect through the year, 2021 has been the year of memes for Aussies.
There were more than 3.6 million meme-related Tweets in Australia this year, with many of us using them to find humour in trying times.
Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi
Throughout the year, Aussies showed just how much we love to connect over sport of all kinds.
Three of the top 10 most Tweeted hashtags were sport-related, with #Tokyo2020 being the most popular.
With half of the country watching from lockdown, our national representatives competing at the Olympic and Paralympic Games brought us together as a country as we cheered for them during the various sporting events.
Aussies were glued to their TV’s and connected to other sports fans via Twitter – not a moment missed.
Flag bearer @Patty_Mills was one of the top 10 most mentioned athletes along with fellow competitors @AshBarty, @SamKerr1, @NickKyrios and Boomers teammate, @JoeIngles7.
As the State of Origin was played outside of QLD or NSW for the first time ever, we saw #NRL climb the ladder as the second most Tweeted hashtag within the sports category, ranking higher than #AFL.
Twitter also doesn’t expect the sports conversations to slow down any time soon, with @DylanAlcott’s final match at #AusOpen right around the corner, 2022 will have even more amazing sporting moments ahead.
Staying Connected Even in Lockdown
Staying Connected Even in LockdownLockdowns are never easy, but that did not stop people from putting their differences aside and reaching out to those in need. During these trying times, Aussies turned to Twitter to find the latest developments about COVID-19 and to show support for those around them.
People also took the opportunity to share their personal experiences in lockdown, including how they continued to juggle homeschooling and working from home.
People all over Australia Tweeted about #lockdown6 as Victorians took out the world record — the longest number of days in lockdown. #Melbourne was one of Twitter’s trending hashtags as the Australian’s voiced their support.
Staying Entertained
Squid Game was a show that got everyone talking; it comes as no surprise that it was one of Twitter’s top trending moments this year.
Since the show was first aired, the hashtag #SquidGame was used at least 39,000 times in Australia.
No one will look at a tracksuit or a pair of white sneakers the same way again!
Though, when it came to what we watched all year long, some Aussie favourites included #MAFS, #MasterChefAU, #SurvivorAU, and #TheBlock all of which were in the top 10 most Tweeted about entertainment hashtags.
Like much of the world, we continue to be captivated by K-pop sensation @BTS_twt who is the most Tweeted about celebrity (or in this case celebrity group), followed by @BLACKPINK.
Culturally, we have seen the phenomenal rise of K-pop across the world, but this trend is not new on Twitter as we have experienced the growth in conversation first-hand.
Other music sensations such as @TaylorSwift13 and @LilNasX also made an appearance in the top 10 most mentioned people. Activism & Cultural Events on Twitter
Activism & Cultural Events on TwitterAustralians are highly engaged activists and are passionate about causes close to their hearts. Australian of the year @TamePunk (AKA Grace Tame) was most mentioned, followed by @GretaTunberg.
Another key conversation that we saw on the platform was around NAIDOC Week 2021.
This year over 23,500 Tweets were celebrating the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, with #NAIDOC2021 being the top hashtag used in the conversation.
Finding Pockets of Joy
Although the year was arduous, there were plenty of bright moments as well. One of those bright spots was @JoshJoshBegosh, a young man from Perth who started a Twitter account to raise awareness for Cerebral Palsy.
Within two weeks he gained more than 10k followers, who he has been meeting offline and sharing his story with. Josh is truly making a difference by inviting people into his world.
Twitter dares say that’s a wrap for 2021, but there’s still a few weeks left and, if the last two years have taught us anything, it’s that anything could happen! #OnlyOnTwitter.
