DIGOS CENTRAL ADVENTIST ACADEMY, INC.

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Trends, Networks, and Critical Thinking in the 21st Century Culture

GRADE XII

Name: _______________________________________ Date: _________________ Week/s: __2 ___

Topic: Examining Trends and Fads

DISCUSSIONS

Fad
It is seemingly drastic swings in mass behavior without obvious external stimuli. Fads are something that people are highly
interested in for a relatively short period of time. It can be characterized as unpredictable, short-lived and without social, economic,
and political significance (Bikhcandani, 1992).

Karl and Sharpio (1985) described it according to the theory of network externalities, where the utility of a product increases
when more people use it. Life cycles of a regular product consists of four stages.
 Introduction: The product is introduced to the market; sales are still low and market share is still insignificant.
 Growth Stage: The product is steadily rise and a significant market share is achieved.

 Maturity Stage: The producers aim to keep the market share through innovations.
 Decline: The market may dwindle due to competition or lack of innovation.

A fad is often used interchangeably with the word trend. Although a fad is short-lived, what is
important to know is that fads can help predict trends.
Let us take our discussion to a product that has longer lifespan.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/all-4-stages-of-the-product-life-cycle-require-a-different-market-research-strategy-according-to-marketresearchcom-blog-270294311.html

Trends

It is a pattern of gradual change in a condition, output or process, or an average or general tendency of a series of data points to move
in a certain direction over time, represented by a line or a curve on a graph.

It is a new item or a practice that stabilizes and transforms into a habit, a lifestyle, or an enduring product. Some trends seek to
innovate lifestyles and find practical ways to solve social issues and improve our well-being. It could be a response to the problems
that have confronted groups or societies. It also reveals the shape of the future.

A significant social trend is best understood as a series of related events that emanate from a range of causes, manifests a
continuity over a a period, and rebounds to significant social, cultural, economic and political changes. Example of trends are rising of
OFWs, changing roles of women, changing model of mobile phones, religious fundamentalism as well.
Trends and Fads are sometimes used interchangeably. They are both important for organizations and people to keep updated with the
changing environment. However, as a member of society, it is important for us to determine the difference between trends and fads
using six elements to deepen our understanding of survival and adaptability.

Emergence of Trends
How do we recognize that a trend is starting to emerge? The capacity to identify emerging trends is rooted in our capacity to
recognize patterns. Our encounter with patterns was facilitated by experience and processed by the mind through abstraction and
generalization.
According to Philosopher John Locke, there are no innate ideas. All of the ideas that we have are derived from experience and
that every complex idea we have in our minds can be traced back to a simple idea. It means that experience is comprised of sensation
and reflection. Locke points out that all active mental process such as analyzing, criticizing, evaluating, and judging form part of the
reflection of experience.

Gov’t Recognition No. 001 s. 2014 (Kindergarten) I Gov’t Recognition No. 018 s. 1989 (Elementary)
Gov’t Recognition No. 001 s. 2015 (Junior High School) I Gov’t Permit No. 062 s. 2020 (Senior High School)
According to Duin and Pekalska (2007), pattern recognition is characterized by three stages, namely. representation, generalization
and evaluation. Adaptation, which serves as an intermediary stage is also involved in the process.

Our ability to recognize patterns enables us to see and analyze to identify emerging trends. There are internal factors that influence
such emergence. These are human needs, historical forces, globalization and digital cone activity, and social media.

Factors Shaping Trends

• Human Needs

Humankind will instinctively tend to its needs. Our desire to build a better world or improve the quality of life compels us to discover,
invent and explore new technologies, products, services, forms of knowledge and skills. In meeting our needs, we enhance our
intelligence, creativity, and social skills that in turn, increase our chances for survival.

• Historical Forces

Humankind creates responses in social issues. The response varies how the government impose its power while the citizenry can act
on its own. The role of the government is to formulate policies to response societal needs, but when polices are enforced, behaviors
change and become trends that are practiced by citizenry.

• Globalization
The global exchange of goods and services increased the interaction between states and societies. The globalizing world integrates
information through global advertising using technologies. Thus, trends and innovations are also carried on a global scale, ensuring
the resilience of the products.

• Digital Connectivity and Social Media

Social Media continue to expand and grow. For example, Facebook has grown into most popular social networking site, catering
businesses and entrepreneurial initiatives in the Philippines. Products gain mileage because of the advertising using this platform.
Social media’s use of trending is not exactly how trends are defined in this lesson. For example, twitter declares the topic as
“trending”. These topics could be a local or global event that had just happened, a developing news story or perhaps a call to action.
The trends that it establishes is often unpredictable, it can rise based on popularity given a short period of time, which could be hours
or a few days.

ACTIVITY

Directions: Multiple Choice. Choose the letter of the best answer. Encircle the chosen letter.
1. Which of the following refers to a pattern of gradual change in a condition, output, or process, or an average or general tendency of
a series of data points to move in a certain direction over time?
A. pattern B. fad C. trend D. forces

2. Because of this factor of trends, the globalizing world integrates information through global advertising with the use of
technologies.
A. Globalization B. Human Needs C. Digital Connectivity Cultural Forces

3. Which of the following elements refers to the degree of attraction that a fad or a trend causes on people?
A. result B. scope C. support D. appeal
4. To identify emerging trends, we must recognize patterns. Which stage of the pattern represents learning methodology or problem
statement to enhance the final recognition?
A. representation B. adaptation C. generalization D. recognition

5. A fad is a product that increases when more people use it. Every product has four stages. In which stage that the producers aim to
keep the market share through innovations?
a. Introduction B. Growth C. Maturity D. Decline

6. Which of the following refers to a movement or behavior geared towards a certain direction which is bound to change, and can be
positive or negative?
A. fad B. forces C. pattern D. trend

Gov’t Recognition No. 001 s. 2014 (Kindergarten) I Gov’t Recognition No. 018 s. 1989 (Elementary)
Gov’t Recognition No. 001 s. 2015 (Junior High School) I Gov’t Permit No. 062 s. 2020 (Senior High School)
7. The following terms are the factors that shape a trend EXCEPT:
A. cultural forces B. globalization C. human needs D. social media

8. Which of the following refers to a concept which make people highly interested in for a relatively short period of time?

A. fad B. forces C. infatuation D. trend

9. The following terms are considered as Fad EXCEPT:

10. Because of this factor, trends develop through global advertising platforms of transnational corporations shown on traditional
media channels and internet. Which of the following causes develops the trend through global advertising platforms of transnational
corporations publicized on traditional media channels and internet?

A. digital connectivity B. globalization C. human needs D. social media

Gov’t Recognition No. 001 s. 2014 (Kindergarten) I Gov’t Recognition No. 018 s. 1989 (Elementary)
Gov’t Recognition No. 001 s. 2015 (Junior High School) I Gov’t Permit No. 062 s. 2020 (Senior High School)