Stock market sell-off sparks ominous trending topics on social media

A broad sell-off in markets across the globe prompted foreboding messages to trend on social media Monday, as a combination of economic and geopolitical unrest sparked fears that troubled times are ahead.

The hashtag #Black Monday was trending on social media platform X after Japanese stocks suffered their largest single-day decline since Black Monday, Oct. 19, 1987, when the Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted by 22%, triggering the beginning of a global market decline.

The market meltdowns intensified throughout the morning...