When you finish scrolling through your Facebook news feed, do you usually have a bunch of notifications on Twitter? And by the time you get done with the little blue bird, do your Instagram notifications start winking at you?
Here then, just for you, is a handy wrap of all the topics that kept social media platforms buzzing this week.
Viral Videos of the Week
Leonardo DiCaprio finally broke the Oscar jinx by winning the Best Actor award for Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s The Revenant. This win, coming on the heels of six previous nominations, was greeted with mad fanfare by the digital community.
The Last Week Tonight with John Oliver ripped apart Trump for the ‘liar’ that he is. The HBO host dedicated the show’s main story to the Republican candidate after avoiding it for four months, and yes, the audience negatively reacted to it, but that was only momentary. Once Oliver picked up momentum on dissecting Trump, audience and viewers across the world, we’re sure, couldn’t stop laughing and wondering why Trump is actually a popular candidate to become the next president of the United States of America.
Facebook Buzz
The week started with two mini-explosions: Leonardo DiCaprio’s win at Oscars 2016 and the unveiling of the budget back home. Both kept Facebook buzzing, giving rise to countless debates, pros and cons lists and memes. Other topics that showed up on users’ news feeds included the ongoing JNU row, where several students were charged with sedition, JNUSU President’s rousing speech at JNU after being granted bail, HRD Minister Smriti Irani’s histrionics in the Lok Sabha, the launch of Fan’s trailer and the US Presidential campaign.
Twitter Trends
Monday: #Oscars2016
The 88th Academy Awards kept the internet occupied on Monday, with people debating the merits of the winners, ogling the red carpet attendees and generally making a day of it.
Tuesday: #MakeDonaldDrumpfAgain
John Oliver proved, once again, that when it comes to sharp comedy which also engages with important political issues, there is no beating him. Here, he absolutely slays Donald Trump.
Wednesday: #YearInSpace
Wednesday marked 340 days of astounding space exploration for Scott Kelly and Russian flight engineer Mikhail Korniyenko. Kelly’s #YearInSpace was marked by remarkable inventions, like creating nearly 730 litres of water from sweat and urine, and of course, his breathtaking photography.
Thursday: #KanhaiyaKumar
On Thursday, JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar, in prison for sedition, was granted bail and returned to a hero’s welcome to JNU. His 50-minute speech, liberally peppered with humour, was streamed live and undoubtedly helped alter public opinion about him.
Friday: #AssemblyElections
The Election Commission announced dates for the upcoming assembly elections in Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on Friday.
Saturday: #Rs11
A youth-wing leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced a “prize money” of Rs 5 lakh to anyone who “cuts off the tongue” of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students’ union leader Kanhaiya Kumar. Meanwhile, several posters reportedly appeared near the Delhi Press Club offering Rs 11 lakh to “kill” the JNU student leader.
Top 3 Posts on Instagram
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