TRENDS, NETWORKS, & CRITICAL THINKING

Fad

- Something (such as an interest or fashion) that is very popular for a short time.
- A fad is an object or phenomenon that has short-lived but intense popularity.
- It is also physical products that one buys or with behaviors or activities that briefly become
immensely popular.
- Fad products tend to be of little utility, but they are characterized by their novelty. (the quality
or state of being new, different, and interesting)

Fads are important in human social environments as well as in economics as they are largely
represented by purchasing patterns.

2 Types of Fad

1. Tangible - felt by our five senses. Examples, demographic, newest fashion statement and most
read book.
2. Non-tangible- may not be felt by our five senses but form part of the behavior and attitude of
the people. Example, change in buying behavior of consumers after every economic crisis.

Fads have a shorter lifespan compare to trend. It usually stays with one industry while trends can
crossover into many industries. Examples, a cellphone is used for communication. However, the device
can crossover to other industries like wireless communication and photography (Dilenschneider, 2016)

Knowledge of Fad enables one to dig the reason why such fad exists. Once this reason is identified,
one will enable to identify more long-term and sustainable alternative, which are trends.

What is a Trend?

- It is a general direction in which something is developing or changing.

- Trends evolve more slowly over time and build gradually as opposed to coming and going.
- Many trends eventually lead to long-term change, with their popularity building over time.
- Trends also influence our culture broadly, beyond just an individual industry.
- You can think about trends as helping to solve problems.
- They gain power over time because they aren’t about a specific moment in time but the
progression of time.
Features of Trend

1. Easy - It do not require many adjustments on the part of the subscribers. It is smooth and
straightforward to follow.
2. Consistent - It generate uniform and tangible results. They are steady and dependable.
3. Sustainable - It exist for a long time.
4. Broad Application - It is used or consumed by a large group of people from different sectors of the
society and various walks of life.

Having foresight or being able to anticipate events, in addition to having hindsight and knowing the
background and all available details, will lead to more informed decision and decisive actions. These are
critical in predicting trends and patterns.