A fad refers to a fashion that becomes popular in a culture relatively quickly, but loses popularity dramatically. Some fads may come back if another generation finds out about it and gets interested in it. For example Dayglo paint was a fad in the USA the late 1970s. Then Dayglo accessories and clothes (such as cycling shorts and Dayglo socks) had a comeback in 1984–1989. It is arguable that a fad that remains popular for a significant amount of time typically loses its significance in current popular culture as it evolves and becomes accepted into a society's everyday culture as trends (e.g. television, Internet, music, video games and dances).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fad
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http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/technology/article3129960.ece