Hot off the presses is the July-August issue of The Futurist magazine, featuring an article by Social Technologies' futurist Andy Hines.
Entitled "Consumer Trends in Three Different 'Worlds," it is the first in a two-part series in which Hines looks at the big trends in demography, money, and consumerism that will shape the world in the next decade.
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From the second chapter of "Thinking about the Future," a book co-edited by Social Technologies' Andy Hines and futurist Peter Bishop, comes this entry: ADOPT A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
Here's why: Strategic foresight needs to consider what is happening in other parts of the world. No situation or system is immune to events and forces elsewhere. Consider changes around the world and how they relate to the client’s overall business as well as to the issue under study. Thinking about the rest of the world should be prominent in research, analysis, or discussion--literally in all aspects of an activity. Modeling this thinking approach will influence colleagues and collaborators to think this way as well.
Key steps: There is no single way to embrace a global perspective. But it is critical to build one into processes specific both to the work and to the larger organizational culture. Ways to do this include:
"Technology has changed the way families stay in touch, profoundly influencing not only how often we communicate, but also what we share with each other," writes Miami Herald reporter Ana Veciana-Suarez in a May 24 article.
"But does more mean better?" she asks.
Some she interviewed said yes, such as Pam Haldeman, a professor of sociology at Mount St. Mary's College in Los Angeles. "I didn't always feel this way, but now I think it's great," Haldeman said. "It certainly has increased interaction between family members, and we can reach far and wide to people who would've been lost to us a generation ago. It's a win-win situation."
Veciana-Suarez got a different reaction from Social Technologies futurist Kevin Osborn:
Kevin Osborn, author of several parenting books and a futurist for the research and consulting firm Social Technologies isn't as enthusiastic. While cellphones, webcams and computers allow us to correspond from faraway places and at unusual times, the information exchanged tends to be simplistic.
''Because we communicate more often it doesn't mean it's more meaningful communication,'' he says. ``Technology is great for people separated by long distances, but that same technology is used to avoid communication with people in the same room. Now you have Dad watching TV, Mom on the cellphone, Sister IMing on the computer and Brother playing video games -- all in the same house.''
Read the entire article.
Image: moriza (flickr)
"Want your shot at videogame fame?" asks Pioneer Press reporter Julio Ojeda-Zapata in a May 17 article entitled "Gamers of the World, Unite -- and take the stage for a night." "You don't have to be a hardcore 'Halo III' or 'World of Warcraft' wunderkind anymore. Average gamers can now aspire to stardom, too," he writes.
Ojeda-Zapata interviewed Social Technologies' Matthew Sollenberger about the fact that videogaming has recently been transformed by "casual" gaming options:
"[These are] typified by the family-friendly Wii along with music titles like 'Guitar Hero' and 'Rock Band' that nearly anyone could pick up and play. This means the latest videogame tournaments have grown less elitist and more accessible to players of all ages and skill levels."
Sollenberger explains:
"It's an easy way to hang out and meet people in the same way people play pub trivia or join kickball leagues," said analyst Matthew Sollenberger, of the Washington, D.C.-based Social Technologies research and consulting company. The Wii and its ilk are "a social lubricant."
Read the entire article.
Image: MNgilen (Flickr)
Friendships centered around e-mail were the focus of a St. Louis Post-Dispatch article on May 13 by reporter Tim Barker.
Entitled, "Internet enables faceless friendships," the article describes two women who met online and talk daily via e-mail -- but have never actually met in person. He quotes one of the women as saying: "In some ways, [our friendship] is probably deeper because of the anonymity."
But not everyone has a great experience socializing virtually, warns Barker, who interviewed Social Technologies' Simeon Spearman about the security risks associated with online-only friendships.
Generally speaking, those cyber friends should be treated with more skepticism than the ones you meet in the real world, said Simeon Spearman, an analyst for Social Technologies, a futurist research and consulting firm based in Washington. If you do find someone you hit it off with, it never hurts to invest a little effort into confirming your new friend's honesty. "Get them to talk to you on the phone or in video chat," Spearman said. "I wouldn't recommend hiring a private investigator or anything like that."
Read the entire article.
Image: by Chaparral Kendra (Flickr)
ChangeWaves is a blog by the futurists of Social Technologies.
Social Technologies is a global research and consulting firm specializing in the integration of foresight, strategy, and innovation. With offices in Washington DC, London, Shanghai, and Tel Aviv, Social Technologies serves the world’s leading companies, government agencies, and nonprofits. A holistic, long-term perspective combined with actionable business solutions helps clients mitigate risk, make the most of opportunities, and enrich decision-making.
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