description: Why is a sheet ghost holding handwritten warnings in October 2026 Instagram videos? The wordplay, a documented Chicago example, and the difference from ghost photoshoots.
“Things You Should Definitely Ghost” is a Halloween video format in which someone dressed as a white-sheet ghost holds handwritten signs naming habits, myths or warning signs worth leaving behind. In English, ghost means a spooky apparition, but it can also mean abruptly cutting off contact. The ghost itself tells viewers what they should stop entertaining.
Where was it documented?
New Engen's Instagram trend report, updated October 1, 2026, identified the format. It cited Chicago beauty-service account @muselasermedspa_chicago using a sunglasses-wearing ghost to challenge skincare myths. A separate New Engen Halloween guide suggested dating habits, fashion mistakes and beauty misconceptions as suitable subjects.
King Pins Socialhouse in North Vancouver, Canada, used the phrase “Things you should definitely ghost this October” in an October 10 promotion. That confirms the wording appeared in Canada; it does not establish that the promotion used the same ghost-and-sign video. The concrete video example is documented in the United States. No reliable global video count or definitive first creator has been established.
Why is it funny, and how is it different?
Ghosts normally frighten people. This one wears sunglasses and offers practical advice on paper, like a monster reassigned to the bad-habits department. Each new sign is another punchline. Ghost Photoshoot videos instead focus on atmospheric pictures of sheet costumes. Here the words on the signs are the main event. It also differs from “A Haunted House But...,” which replaces fictional scares with personal annoyances in a caption.
How do you make one?
Wear a white sheet with safe openings to see through, then film four to six short shots with a different legible sign in each. “Doomscrolling before bed” or “blaming instructions you never read” are illustrative ideas, not quotations from actual posts. New Engen did not identify one dominant soundtrack; the costume and the writing do the work.
Bottom line
The ghost is both the costume and the verb. A Halloween monster has been reassigned from haunting houses to auditing habits. The scariest part may be recognizing yourself on the third sign.
References (4)
- Shayla Crowder, New Engen, updated October 1, 2026: https://newengen.com/insights/instagram-trends/
- New Engen, Halloween trends 2026: https://newengen.com/insights/halloween-tiktok-reels-trends/
- King Pins Socialhouse, October 10, 2026 promotion: https://www.localgymsandfitness.com/CA/Vancouver/104270788174844/King-Pins-Socialhouse
- ReelXo, October 18, 2026 guide: https://www.reelxo.tech/blog/halloween-reel-ideas
Checked October 22, 2026. The Chicago example is reported by New Engen, not independently replayed here. Worldwide reach and first creator remain unverified.
