Know These Contemporary Trends

Contemporary fiction is usually a reflection of what's going on in the world. If you're writing fiction, here are some trends you should know.

Multi-generation Households

They're back. In a recent study of 2,000 adults conducted by MoneyRates.com, 85% of the respondents said the door is open for their adult kids who need to move home for financial reasons.

According to Pew Research Center, in 2012, 36% of all 18 to 31-year-olds were living back with their parents.

The multi-generation thing works both ways though. Some adults find their parents moving in with them. Approximately 79% of respondents in a survey said they are open to this.

Depending on which multi-generation situation occurs, the challenges may be different so be sure you get your specific situation correct.

Connection

We continue to use technology to reinforce relationships. Facebook was the most visited website in 2010. The importance of Facebook in connecting with others is shown by website traffic statistics. In 2000, there were zero FB subscribers, and in 2010, there were 116 million. That is a stunning stat.

Legislating Behavior

Many municipalities have ever-increasing efforts to legislate their citizens' behavior. A case in point is in Seattle where residents will be fined if they throw food and compostable paper in their garbage. The objective is to get everyone to recycle and compost their waste.

You may wonder how they catch those who don't obey the ordinances. They look in the garbage cans of course and slap red tags on those of violators. Yep. Shaming, punishing violators for unacceptable behavior seems to go with the legislating behavior trend.

Brain Training

Older Americans are increasingly training their brains by playing games like bridge which is soaring in popularity. Gone are the old people sitting in rocking chairs and staring at nothing. Today's seniors are socially engaged online and in real life.

U.S. Population Trends

The most recent statistics from the United States Census Bureau show these 10 states have the fastest growing populations: North Dakota, Texas, Colorado, Utah, Florida, Arizona, Nevada, Washington, South Dakota, South Carolina.

Takeaway Truth

Do these trends give you any ideas about characters, setting, or premise?