TRENDS, NETWORKS, AND
CRITICAL THINKING IN THE
21 CENTURY CULTURE
ST
Prepared by:
Ms. Czarina Marie Q. Firmanes
UNIT 1: TRENDS, NETWORKS, AND
SOCIETIES
• This unit discusses trends and networks and their effects on
individuals, communities, and societies as well as on the
environment.
• The ideas in this unit are arranged from simple to complex.
Lesson 1: Trends
At the end of the lesson, I can:
• Define a 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.
• Describe the different characteristics of a trend.
Defining Trend
• Sociologists view trend as a collective behavior or mass
involvement that is acceptable to society and shows a
"line of historical continuity“.
• In other words, a trend is a pattern of behaviour
demonstrated by a big number of people within a
particular period.
Activity 1: Trends
Instruction: Complete the table provided by giving an example of at
least three trends. Identify the field, timeframe, and justification that
makes each appear as a trend.
TREND FIELD TIMEFRAME SITUATION OR
JUSTIFICATION
1.
2.
3.
Spotting a Trend
• A person who starts a trend is called a trendsetter.
• According to futurists (a futurist is one who studies and
predicts the future, especially on the basis of current
trends) Alf Rehn 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."
Trendspotting is the basis for trend analysis, which
has applications in several fields. Here are the
characteristics that a trendspotter should possess,
based and adapted from Rehn and Lindkvist (2013).
1. Adopt a beginner's mind - Know how to unlearn
things.
2. Know why and what you are looking for -
Ascertain first the reason why you are looking
for trends.
3. Move and search in many places - Look beyond
what and where others are looking for and
searching at.
4. Beware of the obvious - Do not join the
5. Never judge something as good or bad - Set aside
your biases and be objective in looking for trends.
6. Be sensitive in looking for signals - Study how
trends gain momentum.
7. Look for shifts rather than novelties - Observe for
changes in how things are done or in people's
behaviors when something new is introduced.
8. Spot for combinations of things - - Do not think of
trends as a singular evolution or development of
things.
9. Find the reason for something - However difficult
this may be, seek logical explanations and causes for
everything.
By spotting a trend, you can think of
ways to maintain your lead in your
field of specialization, detect new
opportunities to grab, and "invent" a
future life for you, your family, and
your close friends.
Trend versus Fad
• A trend lasts for a longer period of time than a fad.
• A trend has a record of occurrence in the past and might
continue to the present, something which is unseen in a
fad.
• Thus, a fad is a temporary or short-lived pattern of
behavior.
Activity 2: What Have I Learned So
Far?
Instruction: Classify the following as trend or fad. List the items in
their proper columns.
acoustic music online shopping
corporate social responsibility preneed plans and
insurance
ecotourism ripped jeans
finger-heart gesture stand-up comedy
Fliptop battle superhero-themed
TRENDS FADS
movies
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
4. 4.
5. 5.
Elements of a Trend
1. Number of participants - A trend may be started by an
individual but the number of people who follow it becomes
bigger as time goes by.
2. Pattern of behavior - A trend is formed from repetitive
actions of people.
3. Long period of time - A trend has a long time frame,
sometimes running for decades.
4. Cause - A trend has a starting point, which can be an idea,
technology, event, or person.
5. Consequence - A trend makes considerable influence or
impact.
Characteristics of Trends
Rehn and Lindkvist (2013) have mentioned a so-
called hierarchy of trends, which explains why
trends seem to have varying reach, effects, and
influences on people.
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."
Macrotrends, on the other hand, are "aggregated
microtrends or more sweeping changes that are affecting
society."
Megatrends are "macrotrends that have grown up and
moved out.”
Gigatrends are "trends that are so general that they
affect most areas of human life-or, at least, more than
one aspect of life or more than one industry."
Mini-Task: Reflect Upon
Instruction: Write a 100-word reflection essay on a fad
that you are or were into for the past few months.
Consider the following points to ponder on:
1. How long have you been into the fad?
2. Does it have noticeable effects in your life? If yes, in
what way?
3. Do you see yourself still into the fad years from now?
Justify your answer.
4. Do you think the fad has the potential to qualify as a
trend in the future? Justify your answer.
