What’s In This Issue?
This Week’s Main Stories
Definition:
Overwhelmed by technology and a sense that life is too complex, people seek out simpler experiences that offer nostalgia and remind them of a more trustworthy time.
The Backstory: Like most of the other megatrends, this one encompassed many ideas from past trends in other reports - and since writing the chapter about it, I keep seeing stories of how the past is coming back to be appealing for us today ... which is a good sign!
Definition:
The lines between industries erode, leading to a continual disruption of business models, distribution channels, and consumer expectations.
The Backstory: If there is one megatrend that really demonstrates the power of intersection thinking and finding inspiration across industries, it is this one. With stories from banks, food, retail and tech - the impact and expanse of this trend made it very satisfying to research and write.
Definition:
As consumers and employees demand more sustainable and ethical practices, companies respond by adapting products and taking public stands on issues.
The Backstory: There were plenty of big stories this year that offered even more ammunition for this big idea that purpose is becoming more and more of a core necessity for all type of organizations. While this in itself may not be all that new, what was surprising was just how vocal those organizations are now willing to be.
Definition:
In the information economy, our attention holds greater value; leading us to be more skeptical of those who rely on spectacles to manipulate us.
The Backstory: The idea of our attention as a form of wealth felt like a perfect way to underscore and start to describe the battle that is happening right now for our attention on every level. The positive upside? If we can better understand how wealthy we all are, we can start to find better ways to monetize and prioritize our own attention.
Definition:
As we rely on predictive technology to keep us and our world safe and make life more convenient, we must contend with the privacy trade-offs required to make it work.
The Backstory: We're just a few weeks away from CES and the stories of how technology will proactively serve us will likely come about again, but what was interesting about this megatrend was the idea that even as technology can be built to offer us protection or convenience, a question some are increasingly asking is whether we want tech to take this step (and whether we are willing to accept those corresponding compromises to privacy).
