Trends Briefing: The Age of Distraction
Thursday 29th August 2024
0900-1000
It’s easy to be distracted these days. We have the whole world of information, news, entertainment, work and leisure in our pockets. We’re connected in more ways and more places than ever before. But sometimes it’s hard to switch off and focus.
Sorry, what was that?
Each of us, in more than one work meeting and more than one family occasion, has been disrupted by someone – possibly ourselves – getting distracted by whatever’s on our phone. At times, individual distraction is a public nuisance, as eloquently described by Hannah Ewens in her recent article: the ‘ambient hell’ of listening to someone else’s audio while trapped on public transport.
Honestly, I am listening.
This is more than just a gripe. At Trajectory, we see distraction as a manifestation of several interlinking trends in digital engagement and ownership, individualisation and the deregulation of life. We’re able to inhabit our own bubbles wherever we are – and take those bubbles wherever we’re going.
Technology adoption and the deregulation of life are ongoing macro trends – which means the way we manage distraction and balance it with focus will remain a perennial issue. It’s also one with significant implications for brands and businesses. How can the attention of low-attention consumers be captured? What are the implications for society of continual information? And what are the new rules of social etiquette in public and professional spaces?
I’ll put the phone down in just a second…
Join us at our next trends briefing where we’ll interrogate all those questions and more. We’ll use hot-off-the-press data from our Optimism Index consumer survey and dig into our library of Time Use data and trends analysis to explore the fundamentals behind contemporary shifts. And with an eye of the future, we’ll explore where this goes next and what it means for brands, businesses and organisations.
Register here to attend
Every month we host webinar looking in detail at a core trend, topic or issue. The sessions are free to attend, but only our Now & Next members get access to the presentation slides and recording – along with the whole archive of Trajectory trends data and analysis – afterwards. For more information, click here.