Social Trends

Throughout history, society has undergone dramatic transformations; these various changes, as well as the ebbs and flows of popular positions on pressing issues, are all part of the larger concept of social trends. Each historical era, whether a decade or a century, is marked by a variety of social trends. In America, the 1930s, for example, were marked by increasing poverty and economic hardship; the Great Depression created a series of downward social trends that would leave a lasting mark on society and culture. The 1990s witnessed social trends that incorporated technology to a degree never seen before, with cellular phones and the Internet becoming ubiquitous parts of people's lives.

Social trends are rooted in a variety of areas:

• The one element all social trends have in common is they each have a lasting impact on a wide variety of people.
• Social trends can be economic in nature.
• Periods of growth or recession are each responsible for different trends in society.

A recession can be marked by a greater trend toward frugality while a period of prosperity can see a social trend of impulsive spending. Social trends can be religious in nature; in times of crisis, such as after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, more people might turn to religion for support when facing the unknown. Social trends are influenced by a wide variety of factors, but can have a profound on individuals and their overall quality of life. These trends can last a short time and witness their implications waning rapidly, or they can exist in the long-term and have implications that are seen for generations.