Interesting service at Trendwatching. As usual for this kind of service, some of their observations are bang on: for instance about the rise of personal content - they call it Generation C. I'm not so sure it's a generational thing, at least not in the same way as the Baby Boomers or Generation X form a segment defined by when they were born.
Other trends they spot - such as "Ready to Know" are let down by poor examples and explanation. The idea behind ready to know is that people are thirsty for contextual information.
Repeat after us: there is NO information overload. Sure, Google indexes 8 billion+ documents, images and items, and that same Google has announced it may scan up to 50 million books currently only available in old-world universities like Harvard, Stanford, Oxford, University of Michigan, and the NY Public Library, yet for consumers craving relevant information on everything and anything, there is still a massive information shortage.
After all, consumers, or, as we pointed out in our previous publication, MASTERS OF THE YOUNIVERSE, depend on extreme transparency to maintain control of their private and commercial lives. From instant price comparison and extensive product information, to independent reviews & opinions & recommendations. They're on an ongoing quest for the Best of the Best, the cheapest of the cheapest, the healthiest of the healthiest: they want to make informed choices, with knowledge of food ingredients, carb levels, medicines, production methods (environmental impact, child-labor free, animal friendly) and so on. On top of that, mature Experience Economy consumers crave any kind of context just for the sake of a story, for something that engages them. When it comes to compelling stories, no amount of interesting information can ever be enough.
I disagree with the idea that there is no information overload, or that there is a massive shortage of information. This is either slack writing or thinking, because it distracts from the main and useful point here that relevant material is useful, and people will always enjoy a good story. Among the examples used to back "ready to know" they point to Shazam, which is music recognition on your mobile phone. Personally (although I think it's amazing technology) I never believed that there would widespread demand for Shazam's service from punters. Yesterday I was told that they are seeking to generate revenues in different ways. Further on Trendwatching points at Hypertag. This service allows people to interact with poster ads via their mobile phone, using er...infra red. Which you have to turn on. Really? How many people are really going to do this? I certainly think that there will shortly be a great deal of interaction between mobile devices and things in the environment (maybe advertising posters) but not until it's one click or less or not even a click to kick it off.
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