Micro Trends In the Past Five Years

[Virgil Showlion]

As the years go by, we all notice subtle changes in society around us. Recently I reflected on a few of the micro trends I've noticed in the past five years.

For example: virtually all ads and literature that include a website (and most do) have dropped the subdomain (usually www.) from the listed address. Back 15 years ago, you'd have seen an ad for "http://www.slayleopards.com/". Ten years ago it would have been "www.slayleopards.com". And as of five years ago: "slayleopards.com".

The trend of turning product disclaimers into promotional material is another one. Messages like "The delicious beverage you're about to enjoy is extremely hot." or "Our staff work extremely hard to maintain our world-class facilities. Please keep off the lawns.", etc.  I'd seen this occasionally prior to 2012, but now it's everywhere.

I've started seeing "decorations" in the titles of promotional e-mail. Big companies have started exploiting the fact that nearly all web-enabled computers can now properly render most Unicode characters, and I've seen hearts, stars, lightning bolts, etc. showing up more frequently in titles.

As one more example: the last of the small-mouthed pop cans has now disappeared. I'm sure we all remember when pop cans had "mouths" roughly as wide as their tabs. Then about 10 years ago one of the manufacturers got the idea to widen the mouth. That trend is now complete in the sense that, in Canada at least, you can now no longer find a narrow-mouthed pop can.

These aren't major trends like the move to cloud computing and mobile phones. They're the kinds of little details that futurists so often mispredict, giving future generations and inexhaustible supply of comedy.

What micro trends have you observed in the past five years?

And (for the bold): What micro trends do you predict for the next five years?

[zibazinski]

Did you know that toothpaste manufacturers opened the hole in the tube just a teensy bit but it meant you used the toothpaste faster so you bought it more often?

[haapai]

It's taken a lot longer than five years to show up, but I sure remember when drawing a credit card out of your wallet at a gas station caused made the cashier's shoulder's slump because you were slowing them down.  Now, you get the same shoulder-slump if you are paying with cash. 

Slightly more on-topic, I've noticed that the complaint number on the receipt seems to have been replaced by an implied bribe if you just do something with your smart phone and preferably say nice things. 

[Virgil Showlion]

Jan 24, 2017 21:25:31 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

Did you know that toothpaste manufacturers opened the hole in the tube just a teensy bit but it meant you used the toothpaste faster so you bought it more often?

I did not know that.

That does bring to mind another micro trend, though: a wider selection of fluoride-free toothpastes. You can find them pretty much anywhere now. That only happened in the past five years here.

Jan 24, 2017 21:39:30 GMT -5 haapai said:

It's taken a lot longer than five years to show up, but I sure remember when drawing a credit card out of your wallet at a gas station caused made the cashier's shoulder's slump because you were slowing them down.  Now, you get the same shoulder-slump if you are paying with cash. 

Slightly more on-topic, I've noticed that the complaint number on the receipt seems to have been replaced by an implied bribe if you just do something with your smart phone and preferably say nice things. 

Yes. The shift from begrudgingly accepting feedback to desperately soliciting it.

[haapai]

They desperately solicit feedback because they've done something to the position of watching over the cashiers that I'm not too sure about. 

There is no supervisor.  The customers are now in charge of watching the cashier. 

[hoops902]

Jan 24, 2017 22:28:40 GMT -5 haapai said:

They desperately solicit feedback because they've done something to the position of watching over the cashiers that I'm not too sure about. 

There is no supervisor.  The customers are now in charge of watching the cashier. 

In lots of stores, the customer now IS the cashier...and the former cashier is in charge of watching over the customers.

[wyouser]

Grocery store micro-trend....the soup can continues to shrink while the price expands...in the future the dot you find in .com and the size of that can of soup will resemble the size of that "dot" you see right now...

[MJ2.0]

Jan 24, 2017 21:25:31 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

Did you know that toothpaste manufacturers opened the hole in the tube just a teensy bit but it meant you used the toothpaste faster so you bought it more often?

but wouldn't you just squeeze more gently?

[MJ2.0]

Jan 27, 2017 14:17:55 GMT -5 @sroo4 said:

How about the abysmal disappointment that is commercial ice cream   blechhhh... low fat ice milk.    

I thought you were gonna talk about how it used to be a gallon, then half, then whatever the hell they're trying to call it now.


But Turkey Hill Graham Slam though....

[Blonde Granny]

The Walmart Neighborhood Market where I shop has changed all but 1 lane into Scan & Go lanes. I will NOT scan and check my own so I always go to the regular one with a cashier. If no cashier is there I find someone and complain.

[Virgil Showlion]

Campbell's low-fat and low-sodium soups.

The most apposite description I can give:

*barrrrrrff*

Had I not tasted them with my own mouth, I wouldn't have believed it possible to make decent soups taste so bland by simply removing 25% of their fat or salt.

Every time I'm in the local supermarket, the (real) Campbell's cream of mushroom soup has been raided to within a can or two of being out of stock, while the rows of low-fat and low-sodium stuff are as untouched as a virgin snowfall. Given their respective tastes, that seems about right.

[wyouser]

Jan 27, 2017 14:17:55 GMT -5 @sroo4 said:

How about the abysmal disappointment that is commercial ice cream   blechhhh... low fat ice milk.    

As one with fond memories of UN- pastuerized whole milk and all the goodies once made thereof...low fat iced milk..is..not... milk at all but some unkown concoction of "colored" flavorless water.....

[wyouser]

Jan 27, 2017 15:58:39 GMT -5 Virgil Showlion said:

Campbell's low-fat and low-sodium soups.

The most apposite description I can give:

*barrrrrrff*

Had I not tasted them with my own mouth, I wouldn't have believed it possible to make decent soups taste so bland by simply removing 25% of their fat or salt.

Every time I'm in the local supermarket, the (real) Campbell's cream of mushroom soup has been raided to within a can or two of being out of stock, while the rows of low-fat and low-sodium stuff are as untouched as a virgin snowfall. Given their respective tastes, that seems about right.

      Truer words do not exist        Well said "oh wise one!"

[Tiny]

The rise of restaurants - it appears my local city's economy is based on restaurant tax revenues - chain restaurants are popping up on every outlot - the formerly empty strip malls are being filled with mom and pop 'restaurants' and coffee shops.  There is a strip mall with 6 store fronts - 4 of which are related to take out food.    I think nearly everyone "eats out" a minimum of 7 times a week...  

That and the rise of "brew pubs" and "local distilleries" - they are EVERYWHERE. 

I had started to think that the goofy over the top kitchen remodels were silly - because who would want to cook in such a place - but now I see that kitchens in homes are 'show places'  so, they are like old fashion "parlors" - you only get to LOOK  at them - you don't actually USE the room for what it was intended.

Hmmm, maybe at some point homes will be built without kitchens?

[Bob Ross]

I predict the new line of Fords will have three fewer atoms.

[teen persuasion]

Title pages in books that are mostly black, rather than white space.  Annoys me when processing new books - where am I supposed to stamp and note acquisition date info so that it's legible?

Children's books with bib record info at the end of the book, around/among illustrations.??  These are not manga, that read backwards, BTW, but picture books.

One mentioned by a favorite patron - deceased authors are more becoming prolific than during their lifetime. 

[Virgil Showlion]

Jan 30, 2017 15:00:52 GMT -5 teen persuasion said:

Title pages in books that are mostly black, rather than white space.  Annoys me when processing new books - where am I supposed to stamp and note acquisition date info so that it's legible?

Children's books with bib record info at the end of the book, around/among illustrations.??  These are not manga, that read backwards, BTW, but picture books.

One mentioned by a favorite patron - deceased authors are more becoming prolific than during their lifetime. 

I miss the good old days when novels had a plot synopsis on the back rather than a giant vainglorious photo of the author. And the title wasn't miniscule in comparison to the author's name.

[Value Buy]

Jan 27, 2017 15:58:39 GMT -5 Virgil Showlion said:

Campbell's low-fat and low-sodium soups.

The most apposite description I can give:

*barrrrrrff*

Had I not tasted them with my own mouth, I wouldn't have believed it possible to make decent soups taste so bland by simply removing 25% of their fat or salt.

Every time I'm in the local supermarket, the (real) Campbell's cream of mushroom soup has been raided to within a can or two of being out of stock, while the rows of low-fat and low-sodium stuff are as untouched as a virgin snowfall. Given their respective tastes, that seems about right.

Here you go Virgil.
I think you can find one to your liking here, but alas, you have to make it yourself.

www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddrink/recipes/99-best-soup-recipes/ss-AAlYg05?li=BBnb7Kz#image=2

[Virgil Showlion]

Wish I had the time, VB.

[zibazinski]

Jan 27, 2017 14:12:11 GMT -5 MJ2.0 said:

Jan 24, 2017 21:25:31 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

Did you know that toothpaste manufacturers opened the hole in the tube just a teensy bit but it meant you used the toothpaste faster so you bought it more often?

but wouldn't you just squeeze more gently?

Not if you're unaware of the change. I just squeeze and if there's more that's fine. I worry about too little. Exactly what they want in a customer. Trust me. It worked for toothpaste manufacturers.

[Phoenix84]

Companies do everything in their power to not get you to talk to a person on the phone. They hide their contact numbers in obscure corners of the webisite, encourage online contact. And when you do call, a computer answers your call. I feel dumb talking to a computer.

[teen persuasion]

Jan 30, 2017 19:31:07 GMT -5 Virgil Showlion said:

Jan 30, 2017 15:00:52 GMT -5 teen persuasion said:

Title pages in books that are mostly black, rather than white space.  Annoys me when processing new books - where am I supposed to stamp and note acquisition date info so that it's legible?

Children's books with bib record info at the end of the book, around/among illustrations.??  These are not manga, that read backwards, BTW, but picture books.

One mentioned by a favorite patron - deceased authors are more becoming prolific than during their lifetime. 

I miss the good old days when novels had a plot synopsis on the back rather than a giant vainglorious photo of the author. And the title wasn't miniscule in comparison to the author's name.

But libraries need someplace to slap on a barcode - patrons are much less upset about a barcode over the author's forehead than one over a crucial word in said plot summary. 

Another trend: series with x.5 entries, only available in e-format.  Print lovers are stymied.

[hoops902]

This may be more last 10 years than 5, but the movement of some media (specifically books and movies with multiple installments) away from one-way communication to FAR more 2 way communication with the creator/author. I'm talking about fan-fiction (think Harry Potter, Star Wars, Twilight) as well as fan theories being consumed back by the author. Obviously, much of this is simply the byproduct of greater communication online now, but I can't remember the last time an entire week went by where there wasn't a headline on MSN/Yahoo/whatever about "random Harry Potter theory responded to by the author to confirm or deny". Now you've got people tweeting out their theories to the authors, or social media groups, and everyone getting in on researching and populating potential "hidden" items.

I would say something similar exists in things like "aftershows" on television. It's no longer about consuming the media, it's about the dialogue in a large group setting about your interpretation of the media (like book clubs on a massive scale, except that we're not even discussing the media, we're essentially creating our own collective fiction around the media...backstories, secret motives, projections of where the story will go next, etc). I think we're also at an unprecedented time where fan feedback about what they want to see or don't want to see has a significant direct impact on "show running" and what kinds of plots we see.

As an example, there's pretty solid information that Jar Jar Binks in Star Wars was originally intended to have a more significant role in future films...but he was so widely hated that they got rid of it.  20 years ago it would be hard to tell he was hated like that...nobody was going to bother to write letters over it...now all you have to do is retweet some snarky comment or a hashtag to express your displeasure...or post a comment on a review blog.   

50 Shades existed as fan fiction...without a significant place to share that, the entire movie/book wouldn't have ever existed...it would just be some shabby journal the author kept at home that probably nobody would have ever read.  Fan fiction in general has served to expand the "universes" of these stories well beyond the author's own conception of the universe...in some cases to the point that the authors actually play a minor part for those who follow the universe...which would have been unprecedented in previous installments (for example, the DC universe basically existed as whatever showed up in the comics...people weren't creating and sharing other characters and plotlines in a way that everyone just accepted as being "real" within the universe).

Star Wars in particular has so many thousands of pieces of fan fiction that it's vastly surpassed the "approved" content (even though they're milking approved content for all that it's worth).

ETA:  I think about something as simple as a show I watch...The Walking Dead.  Started as a graphic novel/comic book...no big digression there.  Now it's a TV show (on cable, a hit, also a fairly recent phenomena).  So you've got the show, and the aftershow, and the spinoff show (which is not a new thing, but is pretty new in that the spinoff includes none of the old characters and runs simultaneous to the show itself), the 2-screen experience where you follow along on a device while actually watching the show, the mobile game(s), the stories that are developed exclusively as online content...that never happened with a show like LOST which would have lent itself immensely to that kind of thing.

[Virgil Showlion]

All prescient observations, hoops. Thanks.

[Deleted]

There are sssoooooo many different types of coffee.

Not to mention tea.

Too hard to decide. How do you know?

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Feb 2, 2017 16:49:37 GMT -5 @bluester said:

There are sssoooooo many different types of coffee.

Not to mention tea.

Too hard to decide. How do you know?

I don't,  I try them all.  I love tea.

[Spellbound454]

Phones...people sit there in company and instead of talking to each other they are on their phones. Its so bloody rude.

Supermarkets. Don't know about you guys but the trend here is for cheap German supermarkets....ie ALDI
People have to make their money go further. They don't need a "shopping experience" they need value.

Cars. I have a silver hatchback which I can never find in car parks because every other car is a silver hatchback.

Music. The trend for female singers is to wear as little as possible because it sells more records. I'm tired of looking at singers in underwear.

Dogs. Every other dog in rescue seems to be a Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Bred indiscriminately as status dogs.. they too often end up with people who don't meet their needs.

Sugar bans. When I was at School Sugar was a less complex carbohydrate ....now it is poisonous it seems.

Reality TV.....ie... Populated by attention seeking Z listers... acting up for the camera...... ZZZZZZZZZZ

I'll think of some more but the politics show is on.

[Wisconsin Beth]

Needing a FB login or disqus login to comment online or save a game.

[resolution]

Feb 2, 2017 14:38:15 GMT -5 hoops902 said:

This may be more last 10 years than 5, but the movement of some media (specifically books and movies with multiple installments) away from one-way communication to FAR more 2 way communication with the creator/author. I'm talking about fan-fiction (think Harry Potter, Star Wars, Twilight) as well as fan theories being consumed back by the author. Obviously, much of this is simply the byproduct of greater communication online now, but I can't remember the last time an entire week went by where there wasn't a headline on MSN/Yahoo/whatever about "random Harry Potter theory responded to by the author to confirm or deny". Now you've got people tweeting out their theories to the authors, or social media groups, and everyone getting in on researching and populating potential "hidden" items.

That brings to mind another trend, which is news aggregators and web sites showing you news based on your past browsing history. For example, you mentioned all the headlines you see about harry potter theories and communication about books and shows, but those are never shown to me. Instead I see a lot of video game news about new game releases, reviews of game consoles, business news about self driving cars, basically all the things that I have clicked on in the past are showing up in my news websites.

It used to be that if two people went to the same news outlet they would see the same thing, and now chances are that they would see completely different stories.

[Tiny]

That online/media  "Echo Chamber" is distressing...  It's hard to talk about current events with other people IRL - because we aren't getting the same information.

It's like Confirmation Bias on Steroids... that can't be good.