Subject Area: Trends, Network, and Critical Quarter: Third Quarter

Thinking Skills in 21ST Century

Unit Topic: Trends, Networks and Societies Time Allotment:180 minutes

UNIT 1. TRENDS, NETWORKS AND

SOCIETIES

This module discusses the effects of trends and Networks on individuals, communities,

and societies as well as on the environment, Knowing and understanding them will make

you become more aware of your surroundings, establish good relations with others, and

determine which ideas and actions to support or reject. The discussion will equip you with

the knowledge and skills necessary in making choices, preferences, and decisions, thus

allowing you to commit less mistakes and helping you avoid wasteful use of energy, time

and resources in the future.

 Show an understanding of the emergence of trends and patterns.

 Explain strategic analysis and intuitive thinking.
 Discuss the components, operations, effects, and networks of globalization in daily
life.
 Show an understanding of the consequences of personal and local action to global
and planetary climate change.

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 Lesson 1 Trends

In this module, you will be able to:

 Define trend
 Explain the process on how to spot a trend
 Differentiate a trend from a fad
 Point out the elements that make up a trend.

Defining a trend
Trend is defined in various ways. In the fields of arts, fashion, and music, it is a prevailing style or
preference such as realism movement in art, emergence of miniskirt, and popularity or jazz music. In
economics, it is a general movement registering statistical changes for a long period such as the increasing
cost of living and rate of unemployment.

In politics, it refers to a tendency, drift, or bend toward a certain instance, thought, or policy as when a
democratic Southeast Asian countries favored authoritarian government at a certain point in their histories.
Some of the trends we have today include 3-D printing, online ticketing, cashless transactions and touch
screen devices.

In other words, a trend is a pattern of behavior demonstrated by a big number of people within a
particular period.

Spotting a Trend

Someone or something starts or causes a trend. A person

who start a trend is called trendsetter. The individual’s act or
the event has attracted attention, earned acceptance and created strong interest and influence on people
whose number keeps snowballing as days go by. The act or event is something different from what is
currently going and becomes “the next big thing.” It demonstrates an accelerated spread among

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various sectors and areas and creates a deep and wide scope of influence on people, sectors, and the
environment.

According to futurist, (a futurist is one who studies and predicts the future, especially on the basis
of current trends) Alf Rehm and Magnus Lindkvist (2013) , trendspotting refers to “the study of trends
and the way they develop and affect society. “This should be differentiated from cool-hunting which
is “a hunt for those things that will become popular before they are popular.” Trend analysis is “based
on trendspotting but it extends this into developing future scenarios.”

Cool-hunting can be understood as looking for things that are going to be popular, while trendspotting
is looking for future trends, generally including those that are less or not obvious, that ultimately
affect society and the way people live.

Trendspotting requires more analysis. For example, discovering what accessories will hit
the fashion markets in the next season is cool-hunting, as well as a record label producer looking
for the next singing sensation.

Trendspotting is the basis for trend analysis, which has applications in several fields. Below
are the characteristics that a trendspotter should possess, based and adapted from Rehn and
Lindkvist.

Ways on how to spot a trend:

1. Adopt a beginner’s mind.

Know how to unlearn things. With a beginner’s mind, you can see things in a light, as if
everything is new and strange; thus you will be able to detect even small changes and shifts that
field experts tend to ignore.

2. Know Why and What are you looking for.

Ascertain first the reason why you are looking for trends. Only then can you ficus on what
kinds of trends to spot and how to specifically look for them. The reason of a businessman are
different from those of an enthusiast, or a traveler, or a writer.

3. Never judge something as good or bad.

Set aside your biases and be objective in looking for trends. You may not like a topic, but
you have to pursue knowing more of it if you are to be an effective trendspotter. Pay attention
related to it and be critical, too.

4. Be sensitive in looking for signals

Study how trends gain momentum. Not all things new and novel can become a trend, but
sometimes do. Taking note the upsurge and downturn of phenomena will help you to expect or
pick weak signals that become strong.

Institutions and trends specialist have been set up primarily to conduct lectures, workshops,
demonstrations, and trend tours regarding the techniques
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 Trends and fads are both group patterns of behavior but not without differences. A trend lasts
for a longer period of time than fad. It may take years before a trend slows down, while it only
takes a few weeks or months for a fad to stay. Thus, a fad is a temporary or short-lived pattern of
group behavior.

A fad – a style, activity, or interest that is very popular for a short period of time: the latest health
fad

E.G.: There was a fad for wearing ripped jeans a few years ago.

Trends have a much longer lifespan than fads. In fact, they can continue to be fashionable for
years and even decades. The primary difference between a trend and a fad is that trends have the
potential to be long-term influencers on the market..

Activity 1. Do you recognize the trends on the picture? What are they? Which of them have
you followed?

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Activity 2. Answer the following Questions.

1. What are some fads now ?

2. What were some fads that you have observed when you were in Junior high school?

3. Why do you think people pay attention to fads?

4. What fad influence your life the most?

5. How do fads start and who starts them? today? In the past?

6. If you want to start a trend, how would you go about it?

7. How long does it take for a fad to die out?

8. What are the current trends in

fashion/electronics/music,books,movies/dating,relationships?

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9. How do you learn about the current trends?

10. Are there any current trends you don't like?

11. Are there any trends from the past you hope come back?

12. Are there any trends from the past you hope to never come back?

13. What sorts of trends do you think will develop in the near future?

14. Name a trend that you followed.

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References:

ONLINE RESOURCES:
 https://elt.comfortenglish.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Trends-and-fads.pdf
 https://www.slideserve.com/thomas-kirby/fads-and-trends
 https://www.google.com/search?
q=trends+vs+fad+ppt&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwilzpT2-
rruAhWtG6YKHRnrBLUQ2-
cCegQIABAA&oq=trends+vs+fad+ppt&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzoECAAQHlDv9x5Y
3ZIfYIiaH2gAcAB4AIABsQGIAdMEkgEDMC40mAEAoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1p
bWfAAQE&sclient=img&ei=pMEQYKXsMa23mAWZ1pOoCw&bih=833&biw=18
21#imgrc=4TP9HrggNdKQ3M
 https://www.google.com/search?
q=trends+vs+fad+ppt&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwilzpT2-
rruAhWtG6YKHRnrBLUQ2-
cCegQIABAA&oq=trends+vs+fad+ppt&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzoECAAQHlDv9x5Y
3ZIfYIiaH2gAcAB4AIABsQGIAdMEkgEDMC40mAEAoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1p
bWfAAQE&sclient=img&ei=pMEQYKXsMa23mAWZ1pOoCw&bih=833&biw=18
21#imgrc=hheOgK0_dIbQLM&imgdii=8hBWnQ5ZJ02MmM
 https://hubpng.com/downloadphoto/1048/mobile-legends-logo-hd-png
 https://www.indiamart.com/proddetail/makeupled-ring-light-20826195188.html

BOOKS:
 Urgel Elizabeth T, TRENDS, NETWORKS AND CRITICAL THINKING IN THE
21ST CENTURY CULTURE (2017) DIWA textbooks
 Dela Cruz, Renato T. WIRED! TRENDS, NETWORKS, AND CRITICAL THINKING
SKILLS IN THE 21ST CENTURY (2016) PHOENIX PUBLISHING HOUSE

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