The Top Five Trends You Didn’t Realize Were Just Trends

Current trends in terms of technology, entertainment, style, business, etc. are always rapidly changing. However, there are a few ‘trends’ that establish themselves so well for an extended period of time, we as consumers don’t even realize they are too, just trends waiting to be innovated.

Most of the time, these ‘trends’ are seen as a staple of life until something drastically alters the industry landscape, and it’s only at this point we realize, “well I guess it was just a trend”. The reason we as consumers sometimes overlook these instances are the fact that some of these eventual trends can last decades. So yes, some may argue it isn’t a trend if it lasts decades, but to me, a trend is something that takes off at one point in time, only to fade away at another. The time period could be 5 years, or perhaps innovation takes a little longer, in which that trend can survive for multiple decades.

So based off of the definition provided, I figured it would be fun to provide an unofficial list of, ‘the top five trends you didn’t realize were just trends’.

Movie Theaters

5. Movie Theaters: What was considered the normal thing to do on a Friday or Saturday night ten years ago? Go to the movie theater of course! Fast forward a decade and increased prices, internet access, and a plethora of unauthorized websites offering the same new releases have lead to the movie theater’s demise. Like television, movies are still as popular as ever, but when you have the option to watch a new release for free in the comfort of your own home, the hassle of finding a theater, a movie time, and not to mention spending $20 on popcorn & soda, it was only a matter of time before their popularity dwindled. Keep an eye out, as we’ve already seen it in limited capacity, but expect movie theaters to become completely virtual, as new releases will instead premiere on streaming platforms (perhaps a streaming movie theater).

Shopping Malls

4. Shopping Malls: Let’s be fair, in 2018, would you rather fo through the hassle of driving to a mall, shopping in a couple of different stores in hope of finding something you might like, OR, go to amazon, be able to purchase exactly what you want, and be done with a click of a button? The in person shopping did have the ‘instant gratification’ factor up until around five years ago, when Amazon, Walmart, and Target all offered free two day shipping on more than half of purchases. Consumers are realizing that a mere two days is worth not dealing with the headache of fighting that oversized sedan for the last parking spot.

Fast Food

3. Fast Food: Fast food was once considered America’s best friend. It was a way to grab a quick bite to eat in a time restricted schedule, but in the late 90’s on obesity epidemic was sweeping the nation, and while household names like McDonald's, Wendy’s, and Burger King still survive, it is only because of the healthy innovation these chains have taken in order to provide options other than a frozen burger & fries. Since then, consumers have flocked to healthier choices, and we’ve seen the rise of new food chains such as, Panera Bread, Subway, and Five Guys (ok, this one goes against the grain here, but Five Guys is just freakin’ delicious).

Traditional Cable

2. Traditional Cable: Those evil cable companies finally got what was coming to them. Always forcing customers to pay for channels they didn’t watch for a hefty monthly price. Even worse, they would provide some type of discount to have you sign up for a two year contract, only to jack up the price in the second year of service. At one point, there was nothing anything consumers could do except suck it up and pay what was asked if they wanted to watch live TV. Can we all just take a minute to thank Netflix for leading the charge on traditional cable’s demise.

Phone Calls

1. Phone Calls: So, how often does anyone actually call someone anymore? Anyone? Show of hands… No? Ok, and how many times a day do we text someone? Oh, I see some hands there. In the 90’s, if someone were to tell you that phone calls would soon be a secondary form of communication you would have probably laughed it off. Yes, palm pilots were introduced, but there was no intention of replacing the traditional phone call. Well, in 2018 one can argue traditional phone calls are now a dying a trend, as while they will still always be utilized, they have taken a backseat to texting, sms, and instant messaging in forms of primary communication.