Predictions for 2009

I spend more than my share of time around the blogosphere, and I’ve noticed a few trends emerging that I think will gain some steam this year, both online and in analog. Here are a few to consider;

Sincerity is back. Irony was declared dead after the 9/11 attacks, and while it will never entirely die in a free country such as ours, it’s woven into the American psyche as an escape from taking ourselves too seriously. But we now have a counter-balance to an overload of irony in the 1990’s. Unlike the pretension of the 1980’s, we don’t waste time talking about things we don’t actually care about. If we want to discuss art, poetry or culture right out in public spaces, it’s because we like it and that’s who we are. Expect to see more sincerity in 2009.

Shopping Hiatus. Blogger friends at Simple Lovely are only one example of people going on a financial ‘cleanse’ for anywhere from three weeks to three months. The idea is to reset your spending metabolism and learn more responsible spending habits. Getting out of the habit of spending freely also gives you perspective on the difference between ‘want’ and ‘need.’ Which leads me to …

Simplifying and organizing. ‘Editing’ every room in the house is all the rage. People are also downsizing and buying smaller houses, if they’re buying houses at all. You’ll see lots of yard sales this summer as people try to make room for only the things they really love or need.

On the rare occasion when we do buy this year, more of it will be handmade or vintage. To add to this, when we buy commercial goods, we’ll be buying from companies that are notorious for doing good in the world. Whether it’s about having a positive environmental impact or helping the poor in Senegal, we want our dollars to not only get us nifty products, but also cast a vote for being responsible citizens of the world.

Facebook. Everyone you’ve ever met is on Facebook (except for my husband, but we’ll save that for another time). It can be a bit jarring, having people from every chapter and facet of your life talking to you. But when you’re commenting on a friend’s wall, let’s remember that you have professional colleagues and future bosses who will be seeing every single word. So let’s keep the drunken sailor talk to a minimum, shall we?

What trends do you predict for 2009?