Ring in the new(ish)

A little late, perhaps, but here’s my take on what Trendbüro has put out as the next big trends for 2009:
Healthstyle: Yawn. Here comes Wellness in a new 2009 coat.

Silver Sex: As long they don’t rub our noses in it, I don’t mind. But why only silver? Isn’t gold attainable for this generation?

Kidults: If this means the middle-aged tottering about on Wii snowboards, I don’t want to play. I’ll have a large Gin & Tonic instead.

Procrastination: In my view, root of most of what is wrong with the world today. A trend I’m going to buck. As you can see, I got on straight with writing this post as the year changed.

Female Shift: Apparently, women are becoming the stronger sex. I think the distinctly untrendy Rudyard Kipling had something to say about that one a hundred years or so ago.

Life Entrepreneur: Doing it yourself, living by your own standards. Well, it suits me!

Network Economy: The changing structure of society and economy from Top-down to Bottom-Up. I’m all for Bottoms Up – where’s that Gin & Tonic?

Swarm Intelligence: The smart masses governing themselves. Fine, but there are also plenty of lemmings and sheep out there as well as bees and ants.

Identity Management: We don’t define ourselves any more over work, family and religion, but over "who we want to be". Is this really about management, though? Or just about being?

Hyperreality: The combination of real and virtual. I’m with this one. The boundaries between the real and the virtual world are getting more and more blurred so we can’t compartmentalise any more. Great!

Personal Media: The mobile internet as new home. No. Don’t want it. I like my bricks and mortar home too much!

Status Angst: This is all about the disappearance of the middle. I wouldn’t mind my middle disappearing. Seriously, I think that what status means will change, which brings us on to…

Recession-Chic: A little deja-vu, this one. I think we did this in 2002. Maybe giving it a trendy name will soften the blow a little, but in the end, some of us won’t have any choice but to wear last year’s clothes.

Green Karma: I’m all for this one – and was amazed to see it in action on my recent trip to the UK. Not a nasty thin plastic bag in sight – just all those sensible hessian ones!