Media Contacts:
Aaron Berstler
and Dustin Sadnick
(651) 228-9141
2009's Mood Change and 5 Trends for the Future
Events happen, but The Socionomics Institute explains that
social mood is what causes them to happen
GAINESVILLE, Ga. / December 30, 2009 – End-of-the-year stories usually focus on the best and the worst of what happened during the year. What they don't focus on is what caused the events – both positive and negative – to happen in the first place. 2009 will go down as a year of negative social mood, setting the stage for a flurry of social and financial upheavals in 2010 and beyond, according to the Socionomics Institute in Gainesville, Ga.
"This socially charged year reminds us that the psychology of the populace can be powerful – even causing people to get sick in disease epidemics or swaying them to change their stance on longstanding policy issues such as decriminalizing pot," says Matt Lampert, a research fellow at the institute, which focuses on cultural trends
Over the year, the Socionomics Institute has explained how social mood – which is moving from the positive, upbeat dot.com years of a decade ago to a darker, more negative mood – causes radical economic and cultural changes. The Socionomist, the institute's monthly publication, unearthed a number of growing social developments in 2009 to make some stunning predictions. Here are five of its social trend predictions that will play out in 2010 and farther into the future:
- Disease epidemics. Social mood studies reveal a counterintuitive conclusion: that it's not that epidemics make people fearful but that fearful people are more susceptible to epidemics, such as the H1N1 flu and more serious threats on the horizon. (May and June 2009 issues)
- Drugs. More states are asking their citizens to decide whether to decriminalize marijuana. Why? In times of positive social mood, people prefer to come down hard on moral issues, and drug abuse is a favorite target. During times of negative mood, though, people begin to view recreational drugs as less dangerous and more useful in coping with the pressures brought on by that negative mood. (July 2009 issue)
- Popular music. We had our pop music divas, boy bands and "Livin' La Vida Loca" during the stock market highs leading up to the 2000 bust. Since then, negative social mood has played a role in developing hip hop, rock and art noise. (October 2009 issue)
- Eugenics. The unthinkable topic is popping up again, as an inclusive, positive social mood changes to a polarized negative mood. That negative mood in turn changes how humans value their fellow human beings, making them decide that some people might just be expendable commodities, liabilities and threats. (November 2009 issue)
- European Dis-Union. Just as a young United States erupted in a civil war when stock market prices hit a huge correction, the negative mood is bringing on a similar situation for the fledgling European Union, which may lead to its break-up. (December 2009 issue)
During 2009, the Socionomics Institute also touched on a number of other topics that show what happens when social mood begins to switch from positive to negative. Revealing topics included car travel and accidents, popular TV shows (think Dexter and True Blood), and hate groups.
* * * * *
About The Socionomics Institute
The Socionomics Institute, based in Gainesville, Ga., studies social mood
and its role in driving cultural trends. The Institute’s analysis is published
in the monthly research review, The Socionomist. Learn more at
www.socionomics.net.
Note to Media: To arrange an interview with Matt Lampert, call
Aaron Berstler or Dustin Sadnick at Kohnstamm Communications, (651) 228-9141