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Trends, Networks, and Critical

Thinking in the 21st Century
Quarter 3 – Module 2:
Understanding the Elements and
Characteristics of a Trend
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Introductory Message
This Self-Learning Module (SLM) is prepared so that you, our dear learners,
can continue your studies and learn while at home. Activities, questions, directions,
exercises, and discussions are carefully stated for you to understand each lesson.

Each SLM is composed of different parts. Each part shall guide you step-by-
step as you discover and understand the lesson prepared for you.

Pre-tests are provided to measure your prior knowledge on lessons in each

SLM. This will tell you if you need to proceed on completing this module or if you
need to ask your facilitator or your teacher’s assistance for better understanding of
the lesson. At the end of each module, you need to answer the post-test to self-check
your learning. Answer keys are provided for each activity and test. We trust that you
will be honest in using these.

In addition to the material in the main text, Notes to the Teacher are also
provided to our facilitators and parents for strategies and reminders on how they can
best help you on your home-based learning.

Please use this module with care. Do not put unnecessary marks on any part
of this SLM. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises and tests. And
read the instructions carefully before performing each task.

If you have any questions in using this SLM or any difficulty in answering the
tasks in this module, do not hesitate to consult your teacher or facilitator.

Thank you.

What I Need to Know

A trend is a sequential pattern of changes in recorded data. A change

evidenced by a rise or fall of variables when measured between at least two points
over time (Gordon, 2008). It is a way of doing new things individually or one society
then followed by many people; it may become a daily routine or a tradition. This
module will present the elements and characteristics of a trend.

After going through this module, you should be able to:

1. point out the elements that make up a trend (HUMSS_MCT12-Ia-b-4);
2. describe the different characteristics of a trend (HUMSS_MCT12-Ia-b-
5); and
3. illustrate the elements and characteristics of a trend through symbols.

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What I Know

A. Matching Type:
Directions: Match the terms in Column A with the descriptions in Column B.
Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.

Column A Column B

______1. number of A. affect the lives of great swathes of the

participants human race
______2. pattern of behavior B. formed from repetitive actions of people
______3. long period of time C. element of a trend that has a starting
point which can be an idea, technology,
event, or person
______4. cause D. synonymous with fads
______5. consequence E. a recurrent phenomenon that takes place
over time and gives rise to speculation on
the future
______6. microtrends F. started by an individual and the number
of people who follows it becomes bigger as
time goes by
______7. macrotrends G. provide major changes that are
perceptible in the societal level for a longer
period
______8. megatrends H. refers to a trend that has a long-time
frame and sometime running for decades
______9. gigatrends I. element of a trend that makes
considerable influence or impact
______10. trends J. trends that are so general that they affect
most areas of human life
K. the ability to understand something
instinctively without the need for
conscious reasoning

B. Multiple Choice:
Directions: Read and analyze the statements carefully. Write your answers on
a separate sheet of paper.

______11. Which of the following is not an element of trend?

A. truth C. pattern of behavior
B. consequence D. number of participants

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______12. Which of the following statements is not true about the characteristics
of a trend?
A. A trend makes considerable influence or impact.
B. A trend is formed from non-repetitive actions of people.
C. A trend has a starting point which can be an idea, technology, event
or person.
D. A trend may be started by an individual, but the number of
followers increases in a certain period of time.

______13. A good number of Filipinos have migrated to the Middle East and the
US to seek greener pastures. This trend has continued because of
severe economic depression, political repression, and the lack of viable
job opportunities in the Philippines. Which of the following significant
social trends is being described in this given scenario?
A. the rise of OFWs
B. changing roles of women
C. religious fundamentalism
D. high overseas employment

______14. The current obsession with health and well-being is one of the positive
trends today. Which of the following practices is not a manifestation of
coping up with this given trend?
A. hair straightening and skin whitening as beauty regimen
B. the immensely popular application of meditation practices
C. organic farming as an alternative to synthetic and chemical-laden
products
D. exercise and extreme sports for those who can afford the luxuries
of enrolling in a gym or engaging in elite sports

______15. As the workforce continues to relocate across the country and out of
large cities, organizations will need to invest heavily in technology that
enables the future of remote work. While this trend continues, which
of the following predictions/inventions or events do you think is most
likely to happen?
A. People will come into the office less and potentially on a staggered
schedule.
B. Consumers will demand more than just a functional product from
technology brands.
C. Companies will need to optimize their in-office setups to make sure
that days in the office have collaboration benefits worth the cost of
a commute.
D. Technologies will impact our lives the most in the next year and
beyond and will enable people to shift into a new work-life balance
where they have more flexibility to choose when and where they do
either.

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Lesson Understanding the Elements

1 and Characteristics of a
Trend
When you see cumulonimbus clouds suddenly formed within the horizon, you
would probably guess that a rain or thunderstorm is imminent. When rain comes
moments later, surely you would exclaim that you were right about your guess. You
were able to spot an incoming rain. That was about spotting an incoming rain, but,
how about a trend? Can you spot a trend? In the previous module, you were
introduced to the descriptions, definitions and distinctions between a trend and a
fad. In this module, you will learn to spot the elements of a trend, and what
characterizes it from microtrends and macrotrends at one end to megatrends and
gigatrends at the other. What starts as barely perceptible oscillations in our
immediate environment may become the great movements of history. The trick is to
spot which ones will develop and how far it will last. Some people like to categorize
trends and a good place for you is to start this hierarchy.

What’s In

Directions: Read and analyze the statements carefully. Identify whether the given
descriptions pertain to a trend or a fad. Write T for TREND and F for FAD. Write your
answers on a separate sheet of paper.

________1. It is something such as interest or fashion that becomes popular for a

short period of time.
________2. A recurrent phenomenon that takes place over time and gives rise to
speculation on the future.
________3. It is a pattern of group behavior that lasts for a long period of time.
________4. It is sometimes referred to as “rage or craze”.
________5. It is a pattern, a direction, or a movement in a way something is changing
towards a style or idea.
________6. Examples of this are hula hoop, yo-yo and virtual pets.
________7. It is a new item that stabilizes to an enduring product or a practice that
transforms into a habit or a lifestyle.
________8. It is characterized by a quick rise in sales and popularity followed by a
quick decline.
________9. It fades when the perception of novelty is gone.

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________10. It appears suddenly, becomes enormously popular, and does not
disappear but rather gets stronger over time.
________11. It may come as a general movement registering statistical changes for a
longer period of time such as the increasing cost of living and rate of
unemployment.
________12. It is an intense but short-lived fashion.
________13. It is something that covers almost all of human activities such as but
not limited to politics, beliefs, economics, lifestyle, social life and the like
whether the individuals or groups of people are aware of it or not.
________14. It has a certain beginning at a particular time in history, but it evolves
and changes as it continues to grow.
________15. Examples of this are business process outsourcing, online ticketing, and
cashless transactions.

What’s New

Directions: Examine the pictures below. Describe each picture briefly. Write your
answers on a separate sheet of paper.

1. 2.

This Photo by Unknown Author is

licensed under CC BY-NC

3. 4.

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5. 6.

7. 8.

This Photo by Unknown Author is

licensed under CC BY-NC

9. 10.

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What is It

What makes a trend a trend? In the previous module, you have learned the
distinction between a fad and a trend. A trend is a pattern of behavior demonstrated
by a big number of people within a particular period and that which continuously
grow and evolve overtime while a fad is an intense but short-lived fashion. With this
distinction, we can therefore identify the elements which comprise a trend. In this
regard, Urgel (2017) enumerated the following elements and characteristics of a
trend:

Elements of a Trend

1. Number of participants pertains to people who follow a certain trend which is

started by an individual or a group of people. The group then grows into a
community, and eventually swells into national and international societies. For
example, the prevailing fashion of a period, follows what celebrities are wearing
or what fashion designers offer. People often copy the trendsetters and so a new
fashion trend develops. In the recent century, styles of clothing are usually
distinguished by decades. One example of this is denim jeans that became a
casual wear by all genders on a regular basis. Jeans are especially perfect for
crafting swoon-worthy ensembles mostly due to the fact that they work well with
just about anything especially when it comes to different looks (Griswold and
Maguire 2020).

2. Pattern of behavior refers to a trend that is formed from repetitive actions of

people. For example, the simple act of taking a selfie has now become a cultural
trend. It is almost impossible not to see someone taking a selfie in any place - be
it in a tourist spot, in a restaurant, in a hotel lobby, beside a movie poster in a
cinema, in a concert hall, and at an event, among others. Before smartphones
and portable digital cameras, pictures or portraits were taken by another person.
The selfie phenomenon enabled people to construct themselves visually and
present it to the public by putting it on social media. Others view the taking of
selfies with disdain as a symbol of narcissism and superficiality, while others
consider it as an act of self-exploration and a gauge for acceptance.

Taking groufies has been prevalent that everyone is into it, too.

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3. Long period of time is one of the crucial elements of a trend which means that a
trend has to have a long-time frame, sometime running for decades. A trend may
experience some ups and downs in popularity, may fade away, and may recur. A
good example of this element of trend is the telephone. It is a communication
instrument that revolutionized modern living and created various social impacts. It
was soon overtaken by the popularity of mobile phones in the late 1990s that have
text messaging feature. Then newer technologies allowed smartphones to include
many applications and internet connectivity. Although telephones are still present in
homes and offices, smartphones clearly have gotten ahead in functionality and
usage.

The picture shows the evolution of cellphones over the years.

4. Cause refers to the starting point of a trend which can be an idea, a technology,
an event or a person. All trends have beginnings and someone or somebody definitely
started it. The question here is, how did it start? Now, this becomes quite obvious as
all material elements of a culture started with one’s ideas, therefore, it is also
conclusive that one starting point of a trend was an idea. Someone or somebody
thought about it in the first place. Let us go back to the evolution of telephone
mentioned above. If you will try to think about it, it was Alexander Graham Bell who
first invented and engineered the very first telephone back in 1876
(https://www.britannica.com). What do you think prompted him to such an
endeavor? Well, if you guessed that it began with an idea of bridging the gap of a long
– distance relations though live voice communication then you must be right. So,
besides the snail mails which were already prevalent those times, people had another
option – the telephone. Fast forward a bit, back in the late 1990’s, these messages
through mails or letters evolved and entered the digital world through beepers while
telephones also evolved into cellular mobile phones. At present, all those separate
features plus some more were combined into the devices we presently called
“smartphones.” Believe it or not, all of these were one’s ideas which eventually turned
into a reality.

The Walkman revolutionized music

playing. Portable audio players today can
trace back their roots to the Walkman.

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5. Consequence refers to the considerable impact or influence of a trend. Social

networking has become an encompassing trend that tends to influence behaviors
of online users. With the popularity of smartphones, users began subscribing to
various social networking portals which enable them to post activity statuses and
photos, and even connect with celebrities. Currently, these social media platforms
and their messaging and video conferencing features are finding their relevance
today especially for the students and teachers. For example, due to the pandemic,
teachers, students and parents use these features for the virtual teaching and
learning process. However, this trend can also create a rather negative
consequence among its followers. One example is depicted on the illustration
below. Quality time among family members to share one another’s presence is
being diverted to other less relevant concerns brought about by the social media.
They can literally be described as “near yet so far” which means that they may be
physically near each other, in fact, sharing food on the same table, yet their
attention is far from the family moment.

Characteristics of Trends

Trends are difficult to study and analyze. Studying them is like predicting the
future and determining what changes may possibly last and thus have wide effects
on society and the people. Just like predicting an incoming rain or storm, it is quite
difficult to measure its impending aftermath. It may yield a good outcome for the
farmers especially when they are in great need of water for their crops, but at the
same time it can also yield damages to other areas.
Rehn and Lindkvist (2013) mentioned a so-called hierarchy of trends, which
explains why trends seem to have varying reach, effects, and influences on people.
This hierarchy is a representation of the scale of the development of a trend. To better
explain this, here is the tabular representation of these characteristics with some
examples.

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Characteristics Microtrends Macrotrends Megatrends Gigatrends
These are These areThese are These are
“little things “aggregated macrotrends “trends that
that happen microtrends that have grown are so
all around us or moreup and moved general that
all the time, sweeping out. They are they affect
the tiny shifts changes that big, bold and most areas
that occur in are affecting affect the lives of of human
everything society.” great swathes of life─ or, at
Descriptions from clothes They provide the human least, more
and Features we wear and major race.” They can than one
the snacks we changes that last for decades aspect of life
eat to the way are and are “so or more than
we work, play, perceptible pervasive as to one
and love.” in thebe generally industry.”
These trends societal levelknown.” They They are
happen right for a longer have become the usually
now and are period prevailing identified to
outright condition that define an era
observable. has become too
normal.
Example/s Smartphone Varying Smartphones Internet or
Apps/Games Smartphone which are the World
which are brands dependent on Wide Web
dependent on (iPhones vs. the internet. which may
the android Smartphones be
capabilities of phones) are widely used considered
a smartphone Battle for by almost all as the soul of
(these popularity of people in the almost all
apps/games these world. technology.
oftentimes smartphones
lose their
popularity
overtime).

Besides the above example, trends can also refer to movements, ideologies,
concepts, beliefs, and more. The important thing in studying trends is to observe
them closely for subtle and sudden shifts that ultimately affect people, cultures, and
societies in general. In the next module, you will be provided with a more in-depth
study of the characteristics/ hierarchy of trends.

You can now proceed to the next

part of this module!

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What’s More

Directions: Illustrate through symbols the elements and characteristics of a trend

and why everyone needs to cope with them. Draw your illustration on a separate
sheet of paper.

Elements of a Trend Characteristics/Hierarchy of a Trend

Number of participants Microtrends

Pattern of behavior Macrotrends

Long period of time Megatrends

Cause Gigatrends

Consequence

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What I Have Learned

Directions: Answer the following questions to establish your learnings on the

elements and characteristics of a trend. Write your answers on a separate sheet of
paper.

1. What generates a trend? Who are involved in creating a trend?

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

2. Why is time frame important in a trend?

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

3. What are the issues and opportunities brought about by trends? How do we
respond during this time of pandemic?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
4. Name five trends and classify them according to the hierarchy of trends. Explain
why each is a trend and why you classify it as such.
Trend Classification Reason Hierarchy

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What I Can Do

Directions: Make a collage showing the concept of elements and characteristics of a

trend. Provide a concise explanation of your work.

Materials needed: old newspaper, magazine, paste/glue, scissor, manila paper

Note: Be careful on using sharp objects.

Assessment

A. Multiple Choice: Read and analyze the statements carefully. Choose the letter of
the correct answer. Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.

______1. These are little things that happen all around us all the time, the tiny
shifts that occur in everything from the clothes we wear, and the snacks
we eat, the way we work, play and love.
A. Gigatrends C. Megatrends
B. Macrotrends D. Microtrends
______2. They can last for decades and are so pervasive as generally known.
A. Gigatrends C. Megatrends
B. Macrotrends D. Microtrends
______3. This is synonymous to fads.
A. Gigatrends C. Megatrends
B. Macrotrends D. Microtrends
______4. This refers to aggregated microtrends or more sweeping changes that
affects the society.
A. Gigatrends C. Megatrends
B. Macrotrends D. Microtrends
______5. This refers to the characteristic of trends that generally affects most
areas of human life.
A. Gigatrends C. Megatrends
B. Macrotrends D. Microtrends

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______6. This refers to the characteristic of trends that provide major changes
perceptible in the societal level for a longer period.
A. Gigatrends C. Megatrends
B. Macrotrends D. Microtrends
______7. The following statements are true about elements of a trend except ____.
A. A trend is formed from repetitive actions of people.
B. A trend that has a long-time frame, sometime running for decades.
C. Trends have long staying power and enjoy a long period of
popularity.
D. The lifespan of products or ideas that became trends do not
disappear quickly.
______8. Which of the following is not an element of trend?
A. cause C. consequence
B. truth D. long period of time
______9. The following are elements or components of a trend except ____.
A. long period of time
B. pattern of behavior
C. strategic alternatives
D. number of participants
______10. The following are the characteristics or the hierarchy of a trend except
A. Gigatrends C. Megatrends
B. Macrotrends D. Nanotrends
______11. Which of the following statements is not true about the characteristics
of a trend?
A. A trend makes considerable influence or impact.
B. A trend is formed from non-repetitive actions of people.
C. A trend has a starting point which can be an idea, technology, event
or person.
D. A trend may be started by an individual, but the number of
followers increases in a certain period of time.
______12. A good number of Filipinos have turned to the Middle East and the US
to seek greener pastures. This trend has continued because of severe
economic depression, political repression, and the lack of viable job
opportunities in the Philippines. Which of the following significant
social trends is being described in this given scenario?
A. the rise of OFWs C. changing roles of women
B. high employment D. religious fundamentalism
______13. The current obsession with health and well-being is one of the positive
trends today. Which of the following practices is not a manifestation of
coping up with this given trend?
A. hair straightening and skin whitening as beauty regimen
B. the immensely popular application of meditation practices
C. organic farming as an alternative to synthetic and chemical-laden
products
D. exercise and extreme sports for those who can afford the luxuries
of enrolling in a gym or engaging in elite sports

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______14. As the workforce continues to relocate across the country and out of
large cities, organizations will need to invest heavily in technology that
enables the future of remote work. While this trend continues, which
of the following predictions/ inventions or events do you think is most
likely to happen?
A. People will come into the office less and potentially on a staggered
schedule.
B. Consumers will demand more than just a functional product from
technology brands.
C. Companies will need to optimize their in-office setups to make sure
that days in the office have collaboration benefits worth the cost of
a commute.
D. Technologies will impact our lives the most in the next year and
beyond and will enable people to shift into a new work-life balance
where they have more flexibility to choose when and where they do
either.

______15. The latest research has shown that 42 percent of the U.S. labor force
is now working from home, but even after the pandemic, the
anticipated share of working-from-home days is set to triple compared
to pre-pandemic levels. While this trend continues, which of the
following predictions, inventions and events do you think is most likely
to happen?
A. Now many people are working, learning, and keeping everyone
entertained from home seven days a week.
B. Video streaming, which has seen tremendous growth in adoption
this year, will undoubtedly continue to be a major part of the way
we live and do business after the pandemic recedes.
C. The data sharing and open collaboration practices that have been
crucial to the fight against COVID will lead to greater public-private
and cross-industry collaboration moving forward.
D. Videoconferencing may be the tool professionals have been looking
for to achieve that highly sought-after but elusive goal of work life
balance.

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