Elements & Characteristics of a Trend

GERALD P. SIOQUIM, LPT, MAED GC, RGC

 OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson the learners can:
1. point out the elements that make up a
trend (HUMSS_MCT12-Ia-b-4);
2. describe the different characteristics of a
trend (HUMSS_MCT12-Ia-b-5); and
3. illustrate the elements and characteristics
of a trend through symbols.
What makes a trend a trend? In the previous module,
you have learned the distinction between a fad and 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, we can therefore
identify the elements which comprise a trend. In this
regard, Urgel (2017) enumerated the following
elements and characteristics of a trend:
Elements of a Trend
 Number of participants

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. Jeans are especially perfect for crafting swoon-worthy ensembles
mostly due to the fact that they work well with just about anything
especially when it comes to different looks (Griswold and Maguire
2020).
 Pattern of behavior

Pattern of behavior refers to 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.
Others view the taking of selfies with disdain as a symbol of
narcissism and superficiality, while others consider it as an act
of self-exploration and a gauge for acceptance.
 Long period of time

Long period of time 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.
 Cause
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? Now, this becomes
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.
Someone or somebody thought about it in the first place. Let us go back to the
evolution of telephone mentioned above. If you will try to think about it, it was
Alexander Graham Bell who first invented and engineered the very first telephone
back in 1876 (https://www.britannica.com).
What do you think prompted him to such an endeavor? Well, if you guessed that it
began with an idea of bridging the gap of a long – distance relations though live
voice communication then you must be right. So, besides the snail mails which
were already prevalent those times, people had another option – the telephone.
Fast forward a bit, back in the late 1990’s, these messages through mails or letters
evolved and entered the digital world through beepers while telephones also
evolved into cellular mobile phones. At present, all those separate features plus
some more were combined into the devices we presently called “smartphones.”
Believe it or not, all of these were one’s ideas which eventually turned into a reality.
 Consequence

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.
For example, due to the pandemic, teachers, students and parents use these
features for the virtual teaching and learning process. However, this trend can
also create a rather negative consequence among its followers. One example is
depicted on the illustration below. Quality time among family members to
share one another’s presence is being diverted to other less relevant concerns
brought about by the social media. They can literally be described as “near yet
so far” which means that they may be physically near each other, in fact,
sharing food on the same table, yet their attention is far from the family
moment.
Characteristics of Trends
Trends are difficult to study and analyze. Studying them is like
predicting the future and determining what changes may possibly
last and thus have wide effects on society and the people. Just like
predicting an incoming rain or 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.
Rehn and Lindkvist (2013) mentioned a so-called
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.
Characteristics Microtrends
These are “little things that
happen all around us all the
time, the tiny shifts that occur
in everything from clothes we
Descriptions wear and the snacks we eat
and to the way we work, play, and
Features love.”
These trends happen right
now and are outright
observable.
Smartphone Apps/Games
which are dependent on the
Example/s capabilities of a smartphone
(these apps/games
oftentimes lose their
popularity overtime).
Macrotrends Megatrends Gigatrends
These are These are macrotrends that These are “trends that
“aggregated have grown up and moved out. are so general that they
microtrends or more They are big, bold and affect the affect most areas of
sweeping changes lives of great swathes of the human life─ or, at least,
that are affecting human race.” They can last for more than one aspect
society.” decades and are “so pervasive of life or more than
They provide major as to be generally known.” They one industry.” They are
changes that are have become the prevailing usually identified to
perceptible in the condition that has become too define an era
societal level for a normal.
longer period
Varying Smartphone Smartphones which are Internet or the World
brands (iPhones vs. dependent on the internet. Wide Web which may
android phones) Smartphones are widely used by be considered as the
Battle for popularity almost all people in the world. soul of almost all
of these smartphones technology.
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. In the next module, you will be provided with a more in-
depth study of the characteristics/ hierarchy of trends.
The
End