A Return to Normalcy Comes With Contradicting Opinions
From athletes to 9-to-5ers, burnout in the midst of a global pandemic is becoming even more evident as the world attempts to return to socialization and economic recovery.
The return to the office and business travel has some people happy to get back amongst their peers and others worried about their mental health. Athlete Naomi Osaka’s recent resignation from the French Open exemplified a new importance on setting boundaries and honoring one's mental health before one's job. Naomi's willingness to work with the institution to help make change is a clear example of Gen Z redefining professionalism and standing up for their values.
As the long-term effects of the pandemic begin to surface, it calls into question some of the ways consumers can re-adjust and find their own way to advocate for change rather than “returning” to pre-pandemic times. In our special Culture Du Jour briefing, our strategists discussed a new rise in people looking for ways to help their communities come back to life. 38 percent of shoppers say they want to support their community and local creators. So when large corporations such as Instacart report plans to replace their workers with automated robots, it calls to question more significant issues of corporations replacing the small mom and pop shops that have already been struggling.
Taryn is a Cultural Strategist at sparks & honey. She loves to nerd out about graphic design trends and how they are windows into consumer behavior. Outside of work, she has a habit of collecting plants and vintage clothing.