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GL-2008-17: Germany 2020
Germany faces significant economic and social challenges in the coming years. A new report from Deutsche Bank Research, Germany 2020, outlines four scenarios for Germany’s future and identifies seven variables that will help determine whether Germany successfully meets its challenges.

GL-2008-16: Wildcard—US Immigration Crackdown
Illegal immigration is receiving a great deal of attention in the US, with widespread calls to crack down on undocumented migrants, who are estimated to number about 12 million. A combination of border barriers, stepped-up federal enforcement, and state and local actions could substantially reduce illegal migration, with uncertain effects on the US economy.

GL-2008-15: India Online—Access and Activities
India’s online population is growing faster than that of any other country, propelling significant changes in Indians’ Internet habits. Access is shifting from public venues (kiosks, cybercafés) to private ones (dedicated home, office, and mobile connections), and Indians are expanding beyond basic communications to more advanced applications including social networking.

GL-2008-14: The Future of African Women
Despite greater female representation in African governments and more laws designed to protect their rights, African women face numerous impediments including entrenched gender roles, onerous household responsibilities, and a lack of flexible work opportunities. Urban women are seeing more progress than their rural peers.

GL-2008-12: Country Profile—Egypt
Egypt is the most populous nation in North Africa. It has a young and growing population, much of it still rural. Business conditions are improving with economic liberalization, but most Egyptians are still too poor to participate in a modern consumer lifestyle. This brief is one in a series of graphical profiles of selected markets in all three Worlds.

GL-2008-9: European Environmentalism
A new survey of Europeans’ environmental values shows that while Europeans are environmentally aware, genuinely concerned, and willing to sacrifice to effect change, they tend to see environmentalism as a high-level issue best handled by governments and corporations, rather than a call for changing their own consumption behavior or lifestyles.

GL-2008-4: Indian Retail—An Update
India’s retail landscape is changing rapidly. While informal retail will continue to dominate, formal retailers are aggressively increasing their market share. Regulations will continue to be liberalized, making selling in India easier for foreign firms, and Indian consumers will have growing options for retail purchasing.

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GL-2008-13: Indian Kids' Leisure
Children are nearly one-third of India’s total population. Middle- and upper-income Indian families are increasingly indulging their kids, and many kids are themselves becoming savvy consumers who research products and influence family purchasing. Media, toy, and Internet companies are responding, and India’s children’s market is growing and becoming more formalized.

GL-2008-11: India Online—Demographics
India’s online population grew faster than any other country’s in 2007, reaching 46 million users and ranking it fifth globally in Internet usage. By 2012, India is expected to have over 148 million Internet users. This brief explores the demographics of one of the world’s top emerging Internet markets.

GL-2008-10: Technology and Deception
Technology has always extended the possibilities for deception, but information and communication technologies are enabling new dimensions in lying. Studies suggest that infotech makes deceit easier in three chief ways: it reduces the inhibitions to lying, makes it easier to create false impressions, and expands the pool of people who can be lied to.

GL-2008-8: Country Profile—UK
The United Kingdom, considered one of the most stable and prosperous nations in the world, has the second-largest economy in Europe. Favorable demographics may help it avoid some of the population problems of its European neighbors. This brief is one in a series of graphical profiles of selected markets in all three Worlds.

GL-2008-6: Multiracial Americans
The US has anywhere from 6 million to 22 million multiracial residents. While the exact figure is difficult to pin down—largely because race is self-reported in Census data, and perceptions of an individual’s race can vary—the number is growing, and by some estimates could encompass one-third of the US population by 2100.

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GL-2008-7: Indian Values
Hundreds of millions of Indians are growing up with new exposure to urban and Western cultural flows. As a result, many are shifting away from traditional values emphasizing spiritualism, austerity, and filial obedience—and looking instead to Western values of materialism, independence, and gender equality.

GL-2008-5: Bottom of the Pyramid in India
Bottom-of-the-pyramid (BOP) consumers—those with less than $3,000 in annual purchasing power—comprise 95% of India’s population. In aggregate, India’s BOP consumers control $1.2 trillion in purchasing power. The brief discusses this vast underserved market and analyzes nine sectors where BOP consumers play a major role.

GL-2008-2: Culture and Change
Two sets of forces shape every society’s relationship to change: economic growth pushes change forward, while local culture molds the society’s unique responses to change. Awareness of this dynamic can help organizations understand how consumer values around the world are likely to evolve in the coming years.

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GL-2007-75: Cars in Russia
Car ownership in Russia is rising rapidly, increasing mobility and changing consumer behavior. Driving this trend are rising incomes, an expansion of consumer credit, new views on car ownership, and a flood of foreign automakers entering the Russian market. However, a number of obstacles could hinder future growth in the Russian automotive sector.

GL-2007-74: China's Demand for Quality Food
A 2007 US Department of Agriculture report found that China’s demand for quality food has risen significantly. Higher-income urban families are driving this trend: they are seeking convenience, ease, safety, and health in their food, and are willing to pay more for these characteristics. Among lower-income families, changes are less marked, and they must still devote nearly half their incomes to food.

GL-2007-73: Country Profile—South Korea
South Korea is a World 1 economy—the 11th largest in the world—with an urban, rapidly aging, tech-savvy population. Economic growth in South Korea is expected to outpace much of World 1, but war or reunification with North Korea could disrupt this scenario. This brief is one in a series of graphical profiles of selected markets in all three Worlds.

GL-2007-72: Fighting Malnutrition
Malnutrition affects a third of the population in the developing world, with substantial health effects, especially on children. Nonprofit organizations and governments are working to fortify staple foods like salt and flour and to distribute nutritional supplements. An alternative approach would use biofortification to breed micronutrients into crops.

GL-2007-71: Evolving Radio
Digital technologies have created new radio formats including Internet radio, satellite radio, digital terrestrial radio, and podcasts. These formats are meeting peoples’ needs for content diversity, anytime-anywhere access, personalization, and participation.

 
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GL-2007-70: Discontinuities—Food
The agriculture and food sectors could experience a variety of discontinuities in the next three decades, ranging from disasters such as massive GM crop contamination or a global drop die-off, to breakthroughs such as health-enhanced crops or a “fat pill” to cure obesity. This is one in a series of briefs exploring discontinuities by industry sector.

GL-2007-69: Retail in Shanghai
Shanghai is one of China’s premier cities and its trends, styles, and habits are often leading indicators of change for the rest of the country. The retail environment in Shanghai is moving from stalls to malls, or from informal to formal arrangements, as wealth grows.

GL-2007-68: The Global Food Supply
Significant debate surrounds the question of whether the world will have enough food to feed itself in coming decades, in the face of potential dangers such as dwindling oil, climate change, and water shortages. However, analysis suggests that the food supply should be adequate to meet global needs to 2030.

GL-2007-67: Country Profile—Germany
Germany is a mature, wealthy World 1 country with a stable but aging population. It has the largest economy in Europe, but growth has been slow, in part due to the reintegration and rebuilding of the East. This brief is one in a series of graphical profiles of selected markets in all three Worlds.

GL-2007-66: Wildcard—Artificial Meat
Artificial meat is produced by extracting cells from animals and stimulating their growth. As World 1 consumers increase their ethical and environmental concerns about traditional meat production, artificial meat could become a viable alternative, if the technology continues to advance and the “yuck factor” is overcome.

GL-2007-65: The Future of Cities
According to a report by the United Nations, the global migration into urban centers currently underway should last through at least 2030. The world’s urban population is projected to increase by around 1.7 billion by that year, with most of the increase concentrated in Worlds 2 and 3.

GL-2007-64: African Immigrants in the US
Africans are a small but fast-growing immigrant community in the United States. Arriving from over 30 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, the roughly 1 million African immigrants are generally finding success, fueled by high educational levels and entrepreneurial drive.

GL-2007-63: Discontinuities—Mobility
New technologies, new business practices, policy changes, or international events could all trigger discontinuities that impact consumer mobility. This brief will explore the impacts of four potential mobility discontinuities: ultra-cheap cars, air taxis, closed borders, and automated driving.

GL-2007-62: European Attitudes
The European Commission report The Future of Europe assesses public attitudes towards the EU. It reveals that Europeans are generally happy with their own nations, yet interested in increased EU decision-making. While Europeans are relatively pro-EU, they remain divided on issues like enlargement—and are generally wary of globalization.

GL-2007-61: Country Profile—Algeria
Algeria is a World 2 Middle Eastern nation with a young and increasingly urban population. Political stability will be the key to Algeria’s economic growth as it emerges from the chaos of the 1990s. This brief is one in a series of graphical profiles of selected markets in all three Worlds.

 
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GL-2007-60: Wildcard—Mass Infertility
The current evidence for sperm-count declines around the world is highly ambiguous. Nevertheless, scientists have linked reduced sperm counts to various drivers, including both lifestyles and environmental factors. While the probability is low, the potential exists for drastic declines in male fertility around the world.

GL-2007-59: Mobile Payment in World 1
Consumers have been able to use their mobile phones as e-wallets in Asia since 2004. In the United States and Europe mobile payments have been slower to catch on, but financial institutions and mobile providers are beginning to embrace the technology.

GL-2007-58: Discontinuities—Health
The global health sector could experience a wide variety of discontinuities in coming decades, ranging from disasters, such as a major pandemic or global contamination event, to significant breakthroughs—e.g., a successful campaign to eradicate tropical diseases in Worlds 2 and 3 or even a “cure” for aging.

GL-2007-57: Counterfeit Goods
The global trade in counterfeit goods is already widespread for luxury goods, apparel, and entertainment, and is a growing problem in industries like pharmaceuticals and auto parts. New anti-counterfeiting interventions are likely to focus on three areas: curbing demand through enforcement, responding to growing concerns about safety and security, and deploying new approaches to product authentication.

GL-2007-56: The Future of the Internet
The Pew report The Future of the Internet II summarizes the opinions of 742 international experts about the social, political, and economic future of the Internet out to 2020. The experts were asked to comment on seven scenarios based on foresight reports published by governmental, nongovernmental, and private organizations.

GL-2007-55: Wildcard—Banking in World 0
Financial institutions are considering setting up shop within online realms, potentially bringing the full range of real-world financial offerings (e.g., virtual asset trading, banking, exchange) into virtual worlds.

GL-2007-54: Asian Americans
After large-scale immigration in recent decades, the Asian-American population is growing in number, shifting to English, gaining higher levels of education, and earning higher incomes.

GL-2007-53: Country Profile—Chile
Chile is one of the most successful countries of Latin America. At the upper end of World 2 in its development, Chile has a strong economy, and business conditions are generally good. Relatively wealthy, Chilean consumers are enthusiastic users of mobile phones, and are going online in increasing numbers. This brief is one in a series of graphical profiles of selected markets in all three Worlds.

GL-2007-52: Indian Economic Growth
India’s economy grew rapidly between 1985 and 2007—and this growth is projected to continue at a robust pace through 2025. A forecast by McKinsey & Company explores how this economic boom could radically reshape Indian consumer life by spurring increases in spending and drastically shifting income distribution.

GL-2007-51: Three Scenarios for Virtual Education
Virtual education is a growing trend in World 1 schools. With rising connectivity, virtual learning is likely to play an increasingly important role in the future of education. This brief describes three different evolutionary paths for virtual education.

 
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GL-2007-50: Wildcard—Recorded Lives
Lifelogging, the use of infotech to comprehensively record and archive a person’s experiences, could become a mainstream practice, due to declining hardware costs and rising consumer interest. Life recording would build on the trends witnessed in current blog, online photo album, and video journal websites.

GL-2007-49: China's Economic Prospects
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Chinese government’s Development Research Center of the State Council have jointly produced a set of 10 scenarios projecting China’s future economic growth to 2020. All of the scenarios conclude that China’s future growth will be positive and sustained at least until 2020, with different variations along the growth curve.

GL-2007-48: Assistive Clothing
Advances in materials and information technology are giving clothing new assistive roles such as aiding performance in leisure activities, enabling tasks that might otherwise be physically daunting or impossible, and providing medical or physical protection.

GL-2007-47: Reality Travel
Growing numbers of tourists are looking for authentic experiences that immerse them in an issue and allow them to see a society firsthand. This “reality travel” can involve volunteering in a village in South America or visiting a slum in Africa.

GL-2007-46: Country Profile—Vietnam
Vietnam is a poor World 2 country with a rapidly expanding economy. Vietnam’s population is still predominantly rural despite a rising urban population, and wealth remains concentrated in cities. Government restrictions have stunted Internet and mobile growth, but both technologies are spreading. This brief is one in a series of graphical profiles of selected markets in all three Worlds.

GL-2007-45: India's Castes
India’s caste system—the longstanding tradition of social stratification by birth clan—remains entrenched in most of the country. However, educational opportunities, economic development, value shifts, and globalization are all acting to blur the dividing lines between castes and provide more opportunity for upward social mobility.

GL-2007-44: E-Sports
Driven by its ever-growing popularity, computer gaming has become a media spectacle in some markets, This brief examines three possible developments arising from this concept: games as mass-media entertainment, massively multiplayer in-person games, and celebrity gamers.

GL-2007-43: Wildcard—Bye Bye Bees
Colony collapse disorder (CCD)—the disappearance of honeybees from commercial hives—is alarming but probably temporary, most experts say. But what if CCD isn’t temporary? The long-term loss of honeybees could be calamitous for agriculture and the downstream businesses that depend on it. This brief explores the business and consumer impacts of this low-probability wildcard.

GL-2007-42: BOP Markets by Region
Consumers at the bottom of the pyramid (BOP)—4 billion low-income people whose collective purchasing power is estimated at $5 trillion—comprise a large majority of the populations in four world regions: Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. A regional analysis is valuable when approaching BOP markets, since they differ widely in wealth distribution, urban/ rural composition, and other variables.

GL-2007-41: Country Profile—Belgium
Belgium is a World 1 European country with a large economy and good business conditions, but slow growth. A rapidly aging population could pose significant challenges for Belgium in the future. This brief is one in a series of graphical profiles of selected markets in all three Worlds.

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GL-2007-40: Russian Healthcare  
Despite an abundance of doctors, Russian healthcare is struggling: a 2006 US government estimate found that only 20% of Russians had access to quality healthcare. Lack of funding, corruption, outdated technology, and an aging and ill populace have all combined to strain the country’s medical system.  
 
GL-2007-39: Rethinking Obesity 
Health professionals and the general public alike have increasingly challenged conventional wisdom about obesity, as researchers have found that obesity may be heavily shaped by inborn biological factors, its health implications may be overblown, and Americans may be growing more accepting of overweight people. 
 
GL-2007-38: Wildcard—Chipping People 
GPS, RFID, and medical implant technology have advanced to the point that it is technologically feasible to implant advanced microchips in humans. This raises the possibility of widespread use of implants in areas such as child and elder safety, debit and credit payment, and personal medical records.  
 
GL-2007-37: The Bottom-of-the-Pyramid Market 
The bottom-of-the-pyramid (BOP) market is made up of a global population of 4 billion low-income consumers whose collective purchasing power is estimated at $5 trillion. Global companies are increasingly targeting this massive group of underserved consumers. This brief examines new data on eight market sectors and the opportunities and challenges they present. 
 
GL-2007-36: Gamer Demographics  
Computer games are now one of the major recreational pastimes in Worlds 1 and 2. As the number of gamers surges, gaming demographics are becoming more balanced, across both age and gender. Older and younger people are playing, as are more girls and women, on consoles, mobile devices, and online.

Image courtesy Woodfighter (Flickr)
 

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GL-2007-35: Rising Indian Consumerism 
Attitudes among India’s consumers have changed substantially in the last decade. Indians are redirecting their saving toward personal consumption, and acquisition of all kinds of durable goods has risen, according to a study by Ashok Gopal and Rajesh Srinivasan. At the same time, they found, faith in Indian brands is rising. 
 
GL-2007-34: Country Profile—Kuwait 
Kuwait is a small, oil-rich World 2 country in a challenging position at the head of the Persian Gulf between Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. Kuwait’s population is divided between wealthy natives and a large population of foreign workers, who make up more than half the inhabitants. This brief is one in a series of graphical profiles of selected markets in all three Worlds.
 
GL-2007-33: The US Healthcare System 
This brief examines three possible scenarios for the US healthcare system to 2020, spanning a range of outcomes from incremental reform to universal healthcare. 
 
GL-2007-32: Indian Mobility 
Indian mobility is increasing, as use of railroads, cars, and aircraft rises, carrying people further, faster. This growth is fueled by the expansion of the middle class, higher incomes, and increased investment in all kinds of transportation infrastructure. 
 
GL-2007-31: Wildcard—Genetically Modified Pets
As genetic modification advances, biotech labs could join kennels and animal shelters as sources for the perfect pet. Biotechnology could produce anything from more functional animals to fantasy creations. However, public acceptance is uncertain. 

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GL-2007-30: Mobile Banking in Worlds 2 and 3
Mobile phones are spreading fast in emerging markets, with more than 800 million sold between 2003 and 2006. Access to mobile phones is putting new services such as mobile banking in the hands of consumers in Worlds 2 and 3. Mobile banking will provide previously “unbanked” consumers with financial and payment options never before available to them.

GL-2007-29: Protecting the Kids II
Parents' concerns for their children's safety have shifted and intensified over the past few years. While developments in information technology fuel new fears, technology is also providing a stream of new products and services intended to alleviate parental worries, from toys that monitor a child's activities to mobile phones that guide kids to school.

GL-2007-28: Country Profile—Norway
Norway is an advanced World 1 European market. Its small, aging population has achieved high levels of human development and wealth. Technology plays a key role in Norwegian society, with pervasive mobile use and broadband access. This brief is one in a series of graphical profiles of selected markets in all three Worlds.

GL-2007-27: Chinese Technology Attitudes
The Chinese are ardent supporters of science and technology. Many Chinese, particularly younger consumers, are wielding technology as both a functional tool and a means of individual expression. Meanwhile, the government is pursuing world-class capabilities in a variety of research fields.

GL-2007-26: Canadian Values
In recent decades Canadian social values have shifted toward support for greater individual freedom and self-expression and away from traditional social and religious values. The shift in Canadian values is evident in the findings of surveys across a number of areas, including religion, homosexuality and gay marriage, euthanasia, and decriminalization of marijuana use.

GL-2007-25: Wildcard—Legalized Marijuana
In World 1 nations, publics are increasingly accepting of marijuana use. While the majority of people in World 1 believe marijuana use should be illegal, a growing minority see it as merely a lifestyle choice; this might ultimately lead to legalization.

GL-2007-24: Korean Women Consumers
South Korean women are gaining consumer power as a result of demographic changes, educational and career advances, and rising incomes, according to a report that examines their evolving lives.

GL-2007-23: Indian Mobiles
Mobile phone use is growing rapidly in India. After lagging behind their Chinese neighbors for years, India’s 1.1 billion people are adopting mobile phones at one of the fastest rates in the world. At 166 million plus, mobile accounts already outnumber landlines. Infrastructural limitations and widespread poverty are expected to constrain growth, however.

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GL-2007-22: Making the Virtual Real
As online universes such as Second Life, World of Warcraft, and There.com expand, the boundaries between the real and the virtual are becoming more porous. People are creating or using more virtual objects—and there is growing interest in finding ways to bring such items into reality. Advances in manufacturing will help to expand the flow of goods from online to offline.

GL-2007-21: Country Profile—Philippines
The Philippines, a World 2 country located in Southeast Asia, has a poor but literate population. Corruption and political instability are obstacles to business. Few Filipinos are online, but mobile use is rising rapidly. This brief is one in a series of graphical profiles of selected markets in all three Worlds.

GL-2007-20: The Future of American Spectator Sports
Although US TV ratings for most sports continue to decline, major professional and college sports set new attendance records almost every year. At the same time, technological changes that allow anytime-anywhere sports access, and the proliferation of niche sports, are opening up new opportunities for spectator sports—and for sports spectators.

GL-2007-19: Shrinking Japan
Japan faces profound challenges as its population ages, the workforce shrinks, and more resources are devoted to growing cohorts of seniors. In Shrinking-Population Economics, Akihiko Matsutani suggests that Japan can maintain living standards even in the face of ongoing economic contraction. This will, however, require substantial changes in Japan’s economy, business practices, and social system.

GL-2007-18: EU Migration—East to West
Migration from the World 2 ex-communist states of the eastern European Union to the World 1 countries of Western Europe is going strong, and could accelerate as more EU members open their labor markets. This trend will have social and economic implications in both the sending and receiving countries for decades to come.

GL-2007-17: Virtual-Real Play
Advances in mobile technology could lead to new forms of leisure based on the integration of real-world activities with virtual information streams via location-based services. They could provide on-the-go leisure activities and also enable new forms of marketing and socializing.

GL-2007-16: Country Profile—Colombia
Colombia is a World 2 country that has long suffered war and instability. Even so, the country’s prospects are improving as crime rates plummet, mobile and Internet penetration rates climb, and the economy grows. This brief is one in a series of graphical profiles of selected markets in all three Worlds.

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GL-2007-15: Russian Suburbanization

Russians are buying homes in newly built suburbs. They are seeking more comfortable living spaces, a house that reflects their middle-class status, a stronger connection to nature, and a better environment for their children.

GL-2007-14: Sleep Innovations

Hundreds of millions of people in World 1 are failing to get the sleep they need. As scientific research increasingly demonstrates the benefits of sleep—in terms of health, happiness, safety, and productivity—sleep-deprived societies may seek solutions not only through pharmacology and technology, but through social innovations as well.

GL-2007-13: Making Eating Healthier

Escalating concerns over obesity, health and wellness issues, and rising healthcare costs in World 1 create an environment ripe for interventions to encourage more healthful eating. This brief describes some potential interventions and how likely they are to occur by 2020.

GL-2007-12: Kid-to-Kid Communication

Communication between children is changing. Until recently, it was largely confined to face-to-face exchanges, supplemented by phone calls and the rare letter. Now children have many ways to communicate, their communication happens faster, and they interact with kids beyond the sphere of their daily lives, even around the world. This is reshaping children’s lives and their roles as consumers.

GL-2007-11: China’s Rich

China’s wealthy consumers are living vastly different lives from earlier generations, and showing distinct behaviors that reflect both China’s recent past and unfolding social changes. Wealthy consumers are seeking to cement their status in the newly minted upper class, in both practical and symbolic ways.

Our Global Lifestyles project has just published its latest round of research. This quarter's topics were extremely diverse:

GL-2006-75: Machine Translation

Globalization, the Internet, and migration are shrinking the planet, creating a growing need for translation. One way that language barriers are being torn down is through machine translation, which is offering quicker, cheaper, and more accurate translations of text and, increasingly, speech.

GL-2006-74: Country Profile—Jordan

Jordan is a small Middle Eastern country perilously placed between Iraq, Syria, Palestine, and Israel. It has a young and growing population that is discovering a love of the mobile phone, but its consumer base is narrow, and unemployment remains a problem. This brief is one in a series of graphical profiles of selected markets in all three Worlds.

GL-2006-73: European Environmental Attitudes

Europeans are highly concerned about environmental issues and expect policymakers to take strong measures to protect the environment, according to a European Commission polling report. Almost two-thirds of EU citizens are willing to forgo increased economic competitiveness for improved environmental protection.

GL-2006-72: Online Dating

As with many other aspects of life, the Internet has changed dating. The digital world of websites, chat rooms, email, and text messaging now plays an important role in how people meet and mate. Even as the practice of digital dating matures, it will also continue to morph as technology and consumer behavior push it in new directions.

GL-2006-71: The Graying of the Middle Kingdom

“The Graying of the Middle Kingdom,” a report from The Center for Strategic and International Studies, concludes that China is on the brink of a dramatic demographic reversal. Its population, which throughout modern history has been young and growing, is rapidly aging and about to start shrinking. How China handles its aging challenge will be a key variable in its future prosperity, social stability, and role in the world.

GL-2006-70: Ecotourism

From the jungles of Laos to the deserts of Dubai, ecotourism—tourism focused on an area’s natural amenities—is taking off. Ecotourism is attracting the attention of governments and corporations seeking a larger share of the burgeoning global tourism market. It is one of the fastest-growing segments of that market, with an annual growth rate estimated at 20%–35% since the 1990s.

GL-2006-69: Age Blurring—Perpetual Kids

Many World 1 adults in their twenties, thirties, and forties are, to varying degrees, living in a protracted state of adolescence. Alternately called kidults, grups, or rejuveniles, this new breed of adult is rejecting some traditional notions of adulthood, retaining more youthful attitudes and indulging in youthful pursuits.

GL-2006-68: Country Profile—Australia

Australia is a stable and prosperous World 1 nation, with demographic and consumer trends closely paralleling those of the United States. Australians enjoy a high quality of life, with strong purchasing power and IT penetration. This brief is one in a series of graphical profiles of selected markets in all three Worlds.

GL-2006-67: Future Mobile User Demands

The Pew Internet & American Life Project collects survey data on Americans’ mobile phone habits. A 2006 survey included questions about current usage and desired features, and provides useful hints about future demand for new capabilities.

GL-2006-66: Indian Electrification

Neglect and rising demand have strained India’s power infrastructure. In an effort to combat this problem and sustain economic growth, India has committed to rapidly expanding its energy sector, and hopes to achieve universal access by 2012. This brief considers three forecasts for the future of electrification in India, highlighting potential paths—and obstacles—to success.

GL-2006-65: Net Neutrality

Historically, the Internet has provided a level playing field and network operators have not favored one type of data over another. This principle—that all Internet traffic should be treated equally—is referred to as net neutrality. In the future, net neutrality could give way to tiered levels of service, in which some content is assigned a premium status. This brief compares some of the impacts that would likely result from retaining versus abandoning net neutrality.

GL-2006-64: Building the Chinese Service Sector

Social Technologies interviewed entrepreneur John Tzyh, who plans to build his brand of do-it-yourself children’s stuffed animals into a restaurant chain, an education center, and a multimedia enterprise, harnessing Chinese social and commercial trends.

GL-2006-63: Country Profile—Italy

Italy is one of the chief countries of World 1, and one of the world’s largest economies, but Italians are graying rapidly and failing to reach replacement fertility levels. Italian consumers are technology enthusiasts, particularly about their mobile phones. This brief is one in a series of graphical profiles of selected markets in all three Worlds.

GL-2006-62: Serious Games

Serious games—games that provide players with opportunities to learn and understand complex situations or different points of view—have emerged as a distinct subset of videogames. Creators of these games are taking the definitions of “play” and “learn” in new directions, often blending the two in areas as diverse as education, government, activism, and healthcare.

GL-2006-61: Living Alone in the US

Americans are increasingly solitary: the number of U.S. households made up of one person rose from 17% in 1970 to 26% in 2005, reaching 29 million—9% of the total U.S. population. The rise in the number of single households can be attributed to several factors: people staying single or marrying later, divorce and delayed remarriage, and widowhood.

GL-2006-60: Happiness and Change—Consumers

As psychologists, economists, and other social scientists learn more about the causes and effects of happiness, their findings raise intriguing questions: does the pursuit of happiness change personal behavior? Which more effectively drives change: happiness or unhappiness? And what will the impact of our new understanding of happiness be on individuals, consumers, and businesses?

GL-2006-59: Homeschooling

Both the number and proportion of students being homeschooled have increased in recent years. Once considered the province of the devout, homeschooling is now chosen by more people for a variety of secular reasons, and the movement may continue to gain popularity, bolstered by a number of social trends.

GL-2006-58: Something New in Toyland

A variety of social and technological factors will drive changes in toys over the next decade, from delayed maternity and value shifts to personalization and information technologies.

GL-2006-57: African Mobiles

The spread of mobile phones in Africa is changing the lives of consumers in profound ways: mobiles are providing people with their first convenient communications, serving as a gateway to the Internet, and enabling local entrepreneurs, who are finding a variety of creative ways to make money with mobile phones.

GL-2006-56: Country Profile—Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a semi-autonomous World 1 city-state on the coast of China. Hong Kongers are avid technology consumers and Hong Kong is one of the most e-ready regions in the world. This brief is one in a series of graphical profiles of selected markets in all three Worlds.

GL-2006-55: Age Blurring—Compressed Childhood

Age-blurring describes the seemingly accelerated maturation of children in recent years, driven by factors such as media exposure and new technology. As kids mature more quickly, they change the customer base of both youth products such as toys and of adult gadgets such as iPods or digital cameras.

GL-2006-54: American Homebuying

Homebuying in the United States has increased in recent years, thanks to low interest rates and rising real estate prices. This surge of interest in real estate has led to new prominence for four types of buyers: single women, young adults, ethnic minorities, and older baby boomers.

GL-2006-53: India Rising

India’s educated population, growing economic liberalization, increased foreign investment, and new government attention to infrastructure are positioning the Indian economy for tremendous growth. While entrenched problems could still threaten India’s rise, the outlook is promising, especially for India’s growing consumer class.

GL-2006-52: Chinese Eco-Cities

The Chinese government and several semi-private entities are seeking to develop environmentally friendly cities to keep pace with China’s rapid urban development. If successful, China’s eco-cities could change the way many Chinese consumers live, impacting everything from energy consumption to transportation, housing, and consumer values.

GL-2006-51: The Sensing Outdoorsman

Once used mainly in scientific, military, or industrial settings, sophisticated sensors are creeping into everyday life. Hunting and fishing are among the areas where sensing is taking off, driven by people’s desire to augment their senses and have more information in sports where information is inherently

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(Images: Social Technologies)

New briefs from Social Technologies' Global Lifestyles program are available to clients. The most recent release includes: 

GL-2006-50: Personalized Medicine

Looming changes in healthcare will give consumers more information about the interplay of disease and their own genomes, provide them the opportunity to take more control of their own care, and enable treatments tailored to their specific genetics and biochemistry—moving medicine from one drug for all towards one drug per case.

GL-2006-49: