craze

A craze is a temporary but intense enthusiasm for something that spreads quickly through a population. It often centers on a product, game, fashion, or activity and tends to be short-lived, fading as novelty wanes or as people move on to new interests. The term is also used in materials science to describe a network of fine cracks that forms in brittle polymers and glass under stress.

Cultural and commercial factors fuel crazes. Mass media, advertising, social networks, and celebrity endorsements help spread them, while the lure of novelty and social belonging sustains participation. Common traits include wide accessibility, quick uptake, and a rapid rise to peak popularity, followed by a relatively abrupt decline.

Historical examples include toy and fashion crazes such as the yo-yo, hula hoop, Beanie Babies, Tamagotchis, or fidget spinners, though many trends are short-lived. Some crazes leave lasting recreational or cultural footprints, influencing products, marketing practices, or subcultures even after the peak passes. Economically, crazes can generate bursts of demand, supply constraints, or waste, prompting debates about sustainability and consumer behavior.

See also: fad, trend, fashion; craze in materials science.