Robots, Recession and Religion
Unholy Gen Z Pave Their Own Way
Gen Z continues to develop an identity further from their parents. Just one third of Gen Z do not identify with a religion at all, and most think church attendance is “unimportant,” according to research by the Barna Group. There are a few things happening here: Every generation loses people to open forms of spirituality or atheism, and Gen Zers are now living in less homogeneous communities. Gen Z grew up exposed to a different world than their elders, tethered to digital and the influence of the internet in their early lives.
While Gen Z do not ascribe to a particular religion, they may follow in Millennials’ footsteps. As our Senior Cultural Strategist Courtney Emery pointed out, “More millennials don’t believe in God, but they do believe in heaven.” This tags to our trend of Taboo Toppling, as Gen Z are constantly challenging the traditions and norms that came before them, like celebrating views on fluid gender and identity. We should expect to see them enact more malleable traditions and systems that will have the adaptability to keep up with this aging group.
Recession Reality Check
A recession can cause you to rethink everything, from that expensive piece of new tech to your daily uber commute. But can this be a good thing?
In a special edition of the briefing tackling recession culture, sparks & honey guest Michael Loeb argued that recessions are great for giving us a reality check. When recessions hit, we see a reigning in of speculative value and more focus on business models and outcomes. This might mean that companies that offer real and immediate impact to consumers, especially those that offer accessible products like beauty and alcohol, might actually be best positioned for rough economic waters.
A recession forces people to prioritize their purchases. When consumers look to combat the negative emotions associated with a recession, how can beauty brands position quick wins for consumers to augment their mood? Our trend Moodgeisting expresses how consumers can interact with products that can manage or manipulate emotions. “In a lot of ways, the indie-beauty brands are championing not just ingredients, but also self care. The idea of a self care ritual during a recession is going to seem particularly appealing,” said sparks & honey Director of Cultural Strategy, Olivia McLean. Olivia mentioned the “lipstick effect” as proof that when people face economic downturn, they often purchase small indulgences. How can brands make sure that their lipstick is the one consumers splurge on?
Who Will Win in a Robo-Recession?
The impact of a potential recession is not felt equally across regions, countries, races, socioeconomic classes or industries. The more marginalized an individual, the more likely they are to lose networth during a recession and also have trouble ever making up any socioeconomic gains achieved prior to the recession. When we think about proofing our companies, societies and bank accounts, we need to consider the varied impacts of a recession depending on where and who you are.
Are robots to blame? In a recession, automation rears its head in many industries as a way to reduce operational costs. “From a work shift perspective, we’ve seen a lot of signals about robots taking over our jobs with automation, but one thing that isn't really brought up is the role of the human in that scenario,” says Anna Martin, sparks & honey’s Editorial Director. “Human premium will be elevated in such a time and there will be a creation of new jobs that are yet to be seen.” This landscape is often based on fear of the unknown, and connects to one of our trend Robots Everywhere, in a nod to the ever-growing presence of technology taking over our lives.
So what about all of those jobs that just don’t come back after a recession? And what about those individuals that look to the gig economy who do not have back ups, savings or employee rights? Some are recommending that the best approach for companies to take is not to give into the fear, but instead use the opportunity to up-skill the workers they have, hire more skilled workers and double down on marketing. Let the circumstances necessitate innovations rather than lacerations.