Showing posts with label trends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trends. Show all posts

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Marriage Trends

A very interesting article in this week's Economist: http://www.economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9218127

Basically, the article discusses the gap between people who have babies in their teens versus those who don't. It equates young marriage and child-rearing with lower education levels, higher poverty, more chance for divorce, and more of the repeating cycle. And it shows this gap rising over time.

It also supports the education of what marriage is and raises questions about the glorified importance of marriage to Americans beyond the core idea of continuing the family line, where as countries like Italy and India stress that importance.

The marriage gap within the US makes me wonder about consumption being tied to a mass of people single without children. With the rising number of people waiting to have greater responsibility, has this aided to our more consumer-based culture? Sure not all people are single and gluttonous, but the single people are sometimes put on a pedestal. Rarely do I see the media value a stable relationship without the bait that it gets you tangible stuff.

Food for thought.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Rise in alternative sports

The '90s saw extreme sports. The '00s are seeing hipster sports.

Hoosierweight Boxing was a cool little St. Louis thing that was nothing to snarf at. My friend Apillow Creed just competed in a Pillow Fight competition in Brooklyn. Another friend was injured in an arm wrestling competition a few years back. Beach Tennis, anyone? There are several professional Rock-Paper-Scissors organizations poping up. Soap Box races are seeing a comeback through NASCAR, and even a reinvention with the annual race across the Brooklyn Bridge that leaves many bruised and wasted. And who could forget, dodgeball and kickball are taking over intramurals.

Will the '10s see a return to soccer and more mainstream sports?