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Are we getting it all wrong when it comes to hybrid working?

Global – While the majority of employees believe the future of work is a hybrid one, most CEOs believe it’s a matter of getting back into the office. But we’re all getting it wrong, according to The Future Laboratory co-founder Chris Sanderson. ‘We focus on presenteeism when we should be focused on presence,’ he explains. Watch Chris’s brief overview of our Work States Futures macrotrend, which explores the value of purpose over productivity and looks at the ‘when’ and ‘how’ of work rather than the ‘where’. We view these as work ‘state’ issues rather than work ‘place’ issues.

Find out more

LS:N Global members can access our Work States Futures macrotrend here and it is also available for non-members to download from our Shop. LS:N Global is the trends and consumer foresight platform that powers The Future Laboratory services, which include our highly regarded Strategy team who can help unpack the relevance of Work States Futures specifically for your business. So get in touch with us now to find out how we can help you make a better, more resilient future happen.

Foresight Friday: Gabriela Białkowska, creative foresight analyst

Victoria Ling for The Future Laboratory

Every Friday, the Future Laboratory team offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, creative foresight analyst Gabriela Białkowska discusses sad music, a juxtaposition of new and old, and Gen Alpha girl gamers.

: In a world of normacrisis, Spotify's Bummer Summer campaign addresses Gen Z’s existential dread. Using data-driven emotional analytics, it curates moody anthems filled with irony and playful aesthetics. Capitalising on ‘sad’ as the top term among 18–24-year-olds, the campaign employs humour as a communal salve for individual sorrow, offering youth a unique form of melancholic solace in chaos

: The KAWS:HOLIDAY sculpture in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, is a 45-metre pink bunny beside ancient Prambanan temple – and an audacious blend of old and new from US artist KAWS aka Brian Donnelly. I think it captures the current zeitgeist: a sense of not quite fitting in yet yearning for connection. On display until 31 August, this fusion of historic spirituality and contemporary angst poses a poignant question: in a world teetering between past and present, where do we find our sanctuary?

: Ending on a high note, as a long-time gamer I find it uplifting that 61% of girls in the UK think Roblox is cool, edging out the boys at 54%, according to Beano Brain’s Coolest Brands report. This rise in girl gamers not only breaks the stereotype of a gamer, but also suggests the future of gaming is genderless and bright, both literally and figuratively.

Quote of the week

‘I worry about American children’s self-esteem, their mental health, their sense of perspective and reality’

Hillary Rodham Clinton on loneliness for The Atlantic

Stat: Broadcast news still considered most trustworthy news source in US

Apple Vision Pro, Global

Global – A declining interest in news and a surge in video streaming subscriptions have reshaped consumer habits, according to decision intelligence company Morning Consult. The number of adults visiting news websites dropped to 60% in the past month, down from a peak of 67% in August 2022. The decline could be attributed to public lack of interest in distressing news topics like the Ukraine conflict and inflation.

Interestingly, the biggest share of Americans still think the most trustworthy news sources are broadcast news (26%) and cable news (17%), with only 16% suggesting it is social media. This data shows that despite a lot of talk about the decline of the traditional newsroom, audiences are still sceptical about the validity of information they get from social media platforms.

The research also revealed that the video streaming landscape is growing, with only 25% of adults not subscribing to any streaming service in July, down from 27% in January. Netflix’s expanded password-sharing initiative has attracted more people into streaming services.

Strategic opportunity

Media organisations need to recognise the authority that established newsrooms have in the minds of audiences. Businesses should use this expertise on social media platforms to communicate authenticity and trustworthiness with their audiences