As a 32-year-old who’s tried to keep up with trends but mostly just wants things that actually deliver, the thing I find most overrated right now—yet it still has this massive, almost religious following—is avocado toast (and the whole avocado-everything cult that refuses to die).
Look, I get it. In 2010–2015 it felt revolutionary: smashed avocado on good sourdough, maybe a poached egg, chili flakes, a squeeze of lemon. Simple, fresh, Instagram-gold. It became the poster child for “millennial basics” and brunch culture. Fast-forward to February 2026, and people are still paying $14–$18 for a single slice of bread with green mush on it at trendy cafes. Chains have avocado toast flights. Grocery stores sell “avocado toast kits.” TikTok has endless “elevated” versions: truffle avo, everything-bagel seasoning avo, burrata-avocado hybrid monstrosities. People defend it like it’s a core personality trait—”Avocado toast haters just can’t afford happiness”—while quietly ignoring that it’s basically expensive, bland fat on carbs.
The reality? It’s fine. Sometimes genuinely good if the ingredients are fresh and the bread isn’t stale. But overrated as hell. The texture is often mushy unless you’re meticulous. It oxidizes fast and turns brown if you’re not eating it immediately. Nutritionally, sure, healthy fats and potassium, but you’re getting the same benefits (better, honestly) from cheaper sources like eggs, nuts, olive oil, or actual vegetables. Yet the cultural love persists: it’s still the default “healthy” brunch order, the thing influencers pose with for “clean girl” aesthetics, the menu item cafes refuse to take off because it prints money.
And it’s not just the toast—avocados themselves are everywhere. Avocado oil is the new “it” cooking fat (despite tasting mostly neutral and being pricier than olive oil). Avocado ice cream. Avocado chocolate mousse. Avocado smoothies that taste like green sadness. In 2026, with food prices still elevated and people complaining about grocery bills, the devotion to this one fruit feels especially out of touch. California drought issues and import costs have made avocados more expensive than ever in many places, yet folks act like it’s a non-negotiable staple.
Other things that get way too much love in my book right now:
Starbucks in general — Overpriced, burnt-tasting coffee disguised with 800 calories of syrup and whipped cream. People queue like it’s a religious pilgrimage, but a decent home brew or local spot is usually better and 1/4 the price.
Lobster — Rubber when overcooked (which is most restaurant versions), expensive as sin, and the payoff is rarely worth the hassle of cracking shells and getting butter everywhere. Crab or shrimp often deliver more flavor for less effort and cost.
Barrel jeans / certain 2025–2026 “relaxed” denim trends — They look editorial in photos, but on most real bodies they bunch weirdly at the ankle or make legs look stubby. Comfortable? Sometimes. Flattering universally? Hard no.
Matcha everything — The ceremonial-grade stuff is nice if you’re into bitter green tea vibes, but the matcha lattes, cakes, KitKats, and cereals taste like sweetened lawn clippings to me. People hype the “antioxidants” while ignoring it’s mostly sugar + food coloring in trendy form.
Gender reveal parties — In 2026 this still feels like peak 2010s excess. Smoke bombs, confetti cannons, elaborate cakes… for announcing something a quick ultrasound or text could handle. The environmental waste and occasional disasters just make it cringe.
But avocado toast edges them out because it’s so baked into the culture. Challenge someone’s avo-toast loyalty and you get defensive essays about “simple pleasures” and “self-care.” Meanwhile, I’m over here with my boring eggs on toast thinking, “This costs $2 to make at home and tastes better without the performative green smear.”
What’s yours? What’s the one hyped-up thing—food, habit, trend, whatever—that makes you go “really?” while everyone else is obsessed?