In the rush to understand the world as it evolves before our very eyes, there’s something going on that may not be catching everyone’s attention. You’ve probably seen how often people now talk about something “trending.” That’s yet another concept of measuring, hmmm, well I’m not sure…I guess its measuring what’s cool or maybe what’s captured the current attention span of people. Of course, those say it are probably trying to indicate that whatever it is they are going to talk about is very important, I mean it must be, right, because it is now trending. Yet, along the way, some are starting to notice that if the focus is to be on trending, you are probably not actually current.
Once something is trending, it’s really already too late. That was 15 minutes ago. What is trending right now will be gone, and often forgotten, by tomorrow…if not in just a few more hours.
Jake Katz of Revolt TV (the media creation of Sean Combs) told The Wall Street Journal “If it’s trending, you already missed the moment.” Katz previously worked for MTV and NBCUniversal with a focus on understanding Millennials and their consumer trends. He is part of the leading edge within the entertainment industry that is focused more and more on instant connection.
This reality is a part of both up and down side of how much speed is necessary today. Both Wired and Fast Company have spent the past years stressing how the move to mobile computing through hand-helds, tablets and now wearables means that speed is demanded in all phases of life. Not that long ago if a company faced a challenging issue, such as GM did with their recent recall issue, they would have weeks to construct a PR strategy for dealign with the crisis. Or, in a personal relationship, if something happened, especially in public, you really had time to privately process the situation.
No longer.
Today, everything is public and visible. Today, the expectation is that you will have to respond now. But the downside of that is you can find yourself like a hamster in a wheel madly chasing your tail with no end in sight. The constant sense that your highest achievement might be to participate in a trending moment is both telling and sad for the country. Again, what is trending today will be gone and often forgotten tomorrow.
Thus, while there’s nothing wrong with employing speed to better a product, to help your company determine a new solution, or to repair a relationship, more often in these days we need to slow down and become more reflective.