Trends in the New Year.
This is the time futurists release their lists of trends to watch for in the New Year so if this is your thing here goes.
1) Reigning Chaos- same as last year
2) Angst as the new normal- it is obligatory now
3) Mental Health goes main stream- a new one
4) Office Work Shake-ups- more offices may go remote permanently
5) Upskilling and reskilling in education and employment- see Big Tech
6) Death of the idolization of America
7) Greener Cities- — betting on a greater focus on climate change measures
8) Rising hyper-localism (again)
9) The demonization of big tech
10) Roaring 2020s: muted hedonism
11) Workplace “cohesion cultivators”
12) Hybrid everything
13) Rethinking schools
14) Admiration for — and fear of — science
15) Geek speak in the Metaverse
16) Virtual value
17) Confronting inequity
18) Water woes-
19) Spotlight on front line workers
20) Infrastructure gets sexy- see climate change?
21) Fightback of the “missing middle”
22) War of words
Bear in mind these are broad trends; generalized and long term. In fact some are downright vague.
That being said let’s flesh out some of these predictions.
Like this one; 6) death of the idolization of America; from a global perspective brand USA’s reputation will continue to take a beating.
21) The political centre will find its voice and kick back against all forms of extremism.
9) The threat to jobs and the professions by Big Tech, the need for constant ‘reskilling,’ and its encroachment on privacy will meet resistance.
2022 will continue to be dominated by the same culture-war campaigners with the loudest voices; backed by those with the most money.
At the same time, the public is increasingly more sensitized to inequities and less willing to tolerate them. This is going to shape political, social, and even corporate developments.