Introduction
The world today is experiencing a wide of trends in different areas. There continues to be transformations that have completely changed the sphere of life in a large extent from society to the world of technology (Houle, 2012). The trend is unique and particular to different institutions of the society. It is projected that in the coming few years, there would be increased mega trends that may turn the global platform around in an unprecedented manner. The trends therein discussed are Digitalization with respect to technology, democratization with respect to governments and individualism with respect to social and cultural issues.
Digitalization
Mega Trend of Technology
The world of technology is first changing and if the trends that have been witnessed are anything to go by, then it can easily be said that the world is headed for a complete digitization. This means there is a transition from analogue platform to the digital platform. This is in a bid to have a paperless society in terms of information sharing or passage. There are innovations that continue to be experienced, especially through the computer systems and the mobile phones. Today, we have smart phones and tablets that have made it easy to have a variety of applications that can be accessed (Golding & Wiley InterScience, 2008).
The television world has also been changed significantly has the introduction of set of boxes have transformed the industry to the extent that there are quality pictures and sounds that can be gotten. A variety of channels also continue to be accessed through the digitized platform. The trend in transformation is set to proceed into the next decades as many of the innovations continue to take center stage. It is estimated that close to 1 billion people will be well able to transform from analogue to digital. It is also imperative to note that the digitization trend is unique as it covers a wide area of the world of technology. The ground has already been set for these transformations, and it is only a matter of time before the trend goes into a complete frenzy.
Democratization
Mega Trend in the Government
Many countries in the world today are undergoing democratic transitions. Before, the situation was different as governments were tyrannical and authoritative. The trends have, however, changed significantly to the extent that there is more democratic space in the world. Today, there have been uprisings all over, especially in the Arab world. The uprisings have been there to demand that the governance system is open and diverse. The essence of democratization is to open up the system and make the governance system more profound and dynamic. Transitions of power, peaceful elections, human rights, and freedom are some of characteristics of democratic transitions. Countries today have adopted democratic principles to the extent that the governance system has been transformed to a greater extent. In the event, some government has defied the democratic trend, the people have revolted against them in a significant way. A country like the United States is a perfect example of Democratization.
The people have the freedom to express their thoughts without fear or favor, and there is media freedom as well. The government, though with few elements of corruption promotes values within the governance system to the extent that corruption is being stemmed out of the government (Wejnert, 2010). In Africa today, there are democratic trends that have been witnessed in the recent past. Though the search for democratic governance system has been elusive, the momentum has been gained to ensure that the country undergoes a peaceful transition from one regime to another. It is important to note that the process of democratization is an ongoing process across all levels of the society. Every institution endeavors to have democratic principles in their governance structure.
Individualism
Mega trend in society/cultural issues
Individualism is first gaining trend in the society today, especially in the United States. The essence of individualism is that the person has got the moral authority to determine what is good and evil. The society or any other group does not dictate the kind of life one lives (Meer, 2011). The society today is first changing because of this kind of a trend. The norms and values of the society do not determine or dictate what an individual does, but rather the person has his or her own ways to affect value judgment. Consequently, the culture of different groups is changing. People are engaging in activities some of which are very shocking.
The emergence of same sex marriage is one of the individualistic tendencies that have been experienced in the recent past. Fashion and way of life are determined by a person’s own perception about the lifestyle he or she wants to experience (Houle, 2012). It has become very difficult in this age for the society to hold important values as different groups of people are first coming up with trends that could otherwise change the face of the society completely. Religious issues, education and health issues have been diversified to accommodate the liberal individuals. People are seeking to doing things their own way without in influence either from within or external.
Conclusion
The trends discussed in this paper are only, but a few of the mega trends that are being witnessed today. Of course, there are areas like in the education sector; environment and economics continue to experience massive trends. In all these trends, more is yet to come by and there are those that are even testimony at this present time.
References:
Golding, P., & Wiley InterScience (Online service). (2008). Next generation wireless
applications: Creating mobile applications in a Web 2.0 and Mobile 2.0 world. Chichester, England: J. Wiley & Sons.
Houle, D. (2012). Entering the shift age: The end of the information age and the new era of
transformation.
Meer, Z. (2011). Individualism: The cultural logic of modernity. Lanham, Md: Lexington
Books/Roman & Littlefield.
Wejnert, B. (2010). Democratic paths and trends. Bingley, UK: Emerald.
