TRENDS, NETWORKING AND CRITICAL-THINKING IN THE 21 ST CENTURY CULTURE

Module 2:
Understanding the Elements and Characteristics of a Trend

Lesson Objectives:
1. point out the elements that make up a trend
2. describe the different characteristics of a trend
3. illustrate the elements and characteristics of a trend through symbols.

When you see dark, thick clouds suddenly formed within the horizon, you would
probably guess that a rain or thunderstorm is imminent. When rain comes moments
later, surely you would exclaim that you were right about your guess. You were able to
spot an incoming rain. You might want to ask yourself, what made you come into a
conclusion that it is going to rain?

Can you spot a trend? In the previous module, you were introduced to the
descriptions, definitions and distinctions between a trend and a fad. In this module, you
will learn to spot the elements of a trend, and what characterizes it from microtrends and
macrotrends at one end to megatrends and gigatrends at the other. What starts as small
changes in society may become the great movements in history. Figuring out what fad
will develop into a trend and how far it will last and the impact it might bring to people is
a characteristic one must employ in the 21st century.

EXERCISE 1
Directions: Read and analyze the statements carefully. Identify whether the given
descriptions pertain to a trend or a fad. Write T for TREND and F for FAD. Write your
answers on a separate sheet of paper.

________1. It is something such as interest or fashion that becomes popular for a short
period of time.
________2. A recurrent phenomenon that takes place over time and gives rise to
speculation on the future.
________3. It is a pattern of group behavior that lasts for a long period of time.
________4. It is sometimes referred to as “rage or craze”.
________5. It is a pattern, a direction, or a movement in a way something is changing
towards a style or idea.
________6. Examples of this are hula hoop, yo-yo and virtual pets.
________7. It is a new item that stabilizes to an enduring product or a practice that
transforms into a habit or a lifestyle.
________8. It is characterized by a quick rise in sales and popularity followed by a quick
decline.
________9. It fades when the perception of novelty is gone.
________10. It appears suddenly, becomes enormously popular, and does not disappear
but rather gets stronger over time.
________11. It may come as a general movement registering statistical changes for a
longer period of time such as the increasing cost of living and rate of unemployment.
________12. It is an intense but short-lived fashion.
________13. It is something that covers almost all of human activities such as but not
limited to politics, beliefs, economics, lifestyle, social life and the like whether the
individuals or groups of people are aware of it or not.
________14. It has a certain beginning at a particular time in history, but it evolves and
changes as it continues to grow.
________15. Examples of this are business process outsourcing, online ticketing, and
cashless transactions.

What makes a trend a trend? A trend is a pattern of behavior demonstrated by a big

number of people within a particular period and that which continuously grow and evolve
overtime while a fad is an intense but short-lived fashion. With this distinction, it is
necessary to identify the elements which comprise a trend.

Elements of a Trend

1. Number of participants pertains to people who follow a certain trend which is started
by an individual or a group of people. The group then grows into a community, and
eventually swells into national and international societies. For example, the prevailing
fashion of a period, follows what celebrities are wearing or what fashion designers
offer. People often copy the trendsetters and so a new fashion trend develops. In the
recent century, styles of clothing are usually distinguished by decades. One example
of this is denim jeans that became a casual wear by all genders on a regular basis.

2. Pattern of behavior refers to a feature of a trend that is formed from repetitive

actions of people. For example, the simple act of taking a selfie has now become a
cultural trend. It is almost impossible not to see someone taking a selfie in any place -
be it in a tourist spot, in a restaurant, in a hotel lobby, beside a movie poster in a
cinema, in a concert hall, and at an event, among others. Before smartphones and
portable digital cameras, pictures or portraits were taken by another person. The selfie
phenomenon enabled people to construct themselves visually and present it to the
public by putting it on social media.

3. Duration of the trend is one of the crucial elements of a trend which means that a
trend has to have a long-time frame, sometime running for decades. A trend may
experience some ups and downs in popularity, may fade away, and may recur. A good
example of this element of trend is the telephone. It is a communication instrument
that revolutionized modern living and created various social impacts. It was soon
overtaken by the popularity of mobile phones in the late 1990s that have text
messaging feature. Then newer technologies allowed smartphones to include many
applications and internet connectivity. Although telephones are still present in homes
and offices, smartphones clearly have gotten ahead in functionality and usage. Most
importantly, the device retained its functionality even though it physical
transformation evolved by leaps and bounds.

4. Cause refers to the starting point of a trend which can be an idea, a technology, an
event or a person. All trends have beginnings and someone or somebody definitely
started it. The question here is, how did it start? It is quite obvious as all material
elements of a culture started with one’s ideas, therefore, it is also conclusive that one
starting point of a trend was an idea as an answer to a certain challenge faced by the
individual and the community. Someone or somebody thought about it to solve a
problem and create an opportunity for social development.

5. Consequence refers to the considerable impact or influence of a trend. Social

networking has become an encompassing trend that tends to influence behaviors of
online users. With the popularity of smartphones, users began subscribing to various
 social networking portals which enable them to post activity statuses and photos, and
even connect with celebrities. Currently, these social media platforms and their
messaging and video conferencing features are finding their relevance today especially
for the students and teachers.

Characteristics of Trends
Trends may seem to be a complex subject to be analyzed but, identifying the
possibilities of newly emerging trend brings in opportunities for social transformation that
might yield further development. Just like predicting an incoming storm, it is quite
difficult to measure its impending aftermath. It may yield a good outcome for the farmers
especially when they are in great need of water for their crops, but at the same time it can
also yield damages to other areas.
Alf Rehn and Magnus Lindkvist, both trend analysts, identified a Hierarchy of
Trends, which explains why trends seem to have varying reach, effects, and influences on
people. This hierarchy is a representation of the scale of the development of a trend. To
better explain this, here is the tabular representation of these characteristics with some
examples.

Gigatrends are
Gigatrend “trends that are so
general that they
affect most areas of
Megatrend human life─ or, at
least, more than
Macrotrend
one aspect of life or
more than one
industry.” They are
usually identified
Microtrend to define an era or
a time-period.

These Megatrends are changes that have

grown up and moved out. They are big, bold and affect the lives of great volume of
the human race.” They can last for decades and are “so pervasive as to be generally
known.” They have become the prevailing condition that has become too normal.

Macrotrends are “aggregated microtrends or more sweeping changes that are affecting
society.” They provide major changes that are perceptible in the societal level for a longer
period of time.

Microtrends are “little things that happen all around us all the time, the tiny shifts that
occur in everything from clothes we wear and the snacks we eat to the way we work, play,
and love.” These trends happen right now and are outright observable.

Besides the above example, trends can also refer to movements, ideologies, concepts,
beliefs, and more. The important thing in studying trends is to observe them closely for
subtle and sudden shifts that ultimately affect people, cultures, and societies in general.
ACTIVITY 1
Directions: Illustrate through symbols the elements and characteristics of a trend and
why everyone needs to cope with them. Draw your illustration on a separate sheet of
paper.

Elements of a Trend Characteristics/Hierarchy of a Trend

Number of Microtrends
participants

Pattern of behavior Macrotrends

Duration Megatrends

Cause Gigatrends

ACTIVITY 2
Identify three (3) trends and analyze their characteristics according to what is given in
the table below.

Trend Elements that Impact to Hierarchy

are highly the society
observable
1
2
3
 1. Which of the following trend do you think greatly shaped the Philippine society?
What are the lasting impacts of this trend in our present society?
2. If you were to change one aspect of our society influenced by the trend, what would
it be? DO you think the people will accept that change? Why?

ACTIVITY 3
Multiple Choice: Read and analyze the statements carefully. Choose the letter of the
correct answer. Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.

______1. These are little things that happen all around us all the time, the tiny shifts that
occur in everything from the clothes we wear, and the snacks we eat, the way we work,
play and love.
A. Gigatrends B. Macrotrends C. Megatrend D. Microtrends
______2. They can last for decades and are so pervasive as generally known.
A. Gigatrends B. Macrotrends C. Megatrend D. Microtrends
______3. This is synonymous to fads.
A. Gigatrends B. Macrotrends C. Megatrend D. Microtrends
______4. This refers to aggregated microtrends or more sweeping changes that affects the
society.
A. Gigatrends B. Macrotrends C. Megatrend D. Microtrends
______5. This refers to the characteristic of trends that generally affects most areas of
human life.
A. Gigatrends B. Macrotrends C. Megatrend D. Microtrends
______6. This refers to the characteristic of trends that provide major changes perceptible
in the societal level for a longer period.
A. Gigatrends B. Macrotrends C. Megatrend D. Microtrends
______7. The following statements are true about elements of a trend except ____.
A. trend is formed from repetitive actions of people.
B. A trend that has a long-time frame, sometime running for decades.
C. Trends have long staying power and enjoy a long period of popularity.
D. The lifespan of products or ideas that became trends do not disappear quickly.
______8. Which of the following is not an element of trend?
A. Cause B. consequence C. long period of time D. truth
______9. The following are elements or components of a trend except ____.
A. long period of time C. pattern of behavior
B. number of participants D. strategic alternatives
______10. The following are the characteristics or the hierarchy of a trend except
______11. Which of the following statements is not true about the characteristics of a
trend?
A. A trend makes considerable influence or impact.
B. A trend is formed from non-repetitive actions of people.
C. A trend has a starting point which can be an idea, technology, event or person.
D. A trend may be started by an individual, but the number of followers increases in a
certain period of time.
______12. A good number of Filipinos have turned to the Middle East and the US to seek
greener pastures. This trend has continued because of severe economic depression,
political repression, and the lack of viable job opportunities in the Philippines. Which of
the following significant social trends is being described in this given scenario?
A. changing roles of women C. high employment
B. religious fundamentalism D. the rise of OFWs
______13. The current obsession with health and well-being is one of the positive trends
today. Which of the following practices is not a manifestation of coping up with this given
trend?
A. hair straightening and skin whitening as beauty regimen
B. the immensely popular application of meditation practices
C. organic farming as an alternative to synthetic and chemical-laden products
D. exercise and extreme sports for those who can afford the luxuries of enrolling in a
gym or engaging in elite sports
______14. As the workforce continues to relocate across the country and out of large
cities, organizations will need to invest heavily in technology that enables the future of
remote work. While this trend continues, which of the following predictions/ inventions or
events do you think is most likely to happen?
A. People will come into the office less and potentially on a staggered schedule.
B. Consumers will demand more than just a functional product from technology
brands.
C. Companies will need to optimize their in-office setups to make sure that days in
the office have collaboration benefits worth the cost of a commute.
D. Technologies will impact our lives the most in the next year and beyond and will
enable people to shift into a new work-life balance where they have more flexibility
to choose when and where they do either.
______15. The latest research has shown that 42 percent of the U.S. labor force is now
working from home, but even after the pandemic, the anticipated share of working-from-
home days is set to triple compared to pre-pandemic levels. While this trend continues,
which of the following predictions, inventions and events do you think is most likely to
happen?
A. Now many people are working, learning, and keeping everyone entertained from
home seven days a week.
B. Video streaming, which has seen tremendous growth in adoption this year, will
undoubtedly continue to be a major part of the way we live and do business after
the pandemic recedes.
C. The data sharing and open collaboration practices that have been crucial to the
fight against COVID will lead to greater public-private and cross-industry
collaboration moving forward.
D. Videoconferencing may be the tool professionals have been looking for to achieve
that highly sought-after but elusive goal of work life balance.
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