Briony is a Senior Behavioural Analyst at Canvas8. With a degree in Professional Communication and several years spent in advertising and consumer research, she understands the importance of decoding audience behaviour and the impacts for brands. She has a love for storytelling with data and cultural insights. Outside of work you can find her spending too much money on books, dining out, and the latest gym class craze.

Speed and convenience have become the consumer norm. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, when people worldwide were introduced to instant access to goods and services via apps and digital platforms, the supply and demand considerably grew and splintered. The 'I need it now' culture shows no signs of slowing down, yet the complexity around it is becoming more apparent.

Hyper-fast digital services appeal because they fulfil a ballooning desire for instant gratification – contemporary convenience hinges on easy-to-use interfaces that help consumers seamlessly meet their needs. However, the mechanics of consumerism are complex. People are becoming aware of global supply chains, especially in the wake of wars and escalating global conflict. As many brands are cracking down on immediacy (introducing higher delivery fees or offering it as a premium), people are turning to local and smaller-scale shopping for more mindful, slower, grounded spending.

The cost of living crisis makes people reconsider which of their needs are truly immediate, but it's not the only reason some crave a slowdown. The hyper-fast society enables our desires to be fulfilled instantly but might be too fast for our mental health. While convenience used to be a cool thing to have, now it has become essential to function in the current attention economy. People are tormented by a lack of patience and chronic dependency on stimulation from platforms like TikTok – yet the rewards of convenience easily outweigh the concerns.

Compulsive Convenience

In the face of economic crises, climate anxieties, and global wars, people are seeking solace through connection. They want to be sure someone will hold their hand in the face of hardship. As a result, they have higher expectations of care and understanding from interactions with brands, social systems, and people. Many no longer see emotional intelligence as a pleasant add-on – it has become a default expectation.

If Pantone's colour of the year for 2024 is anything to go by – Peach Fuzz, a hue that 'echoes our innate yearning for closeness and connection' – it's that community and understanding are increasingly valued as a bedrock of resilience in building a more empathetic and interconnected society. As the loneliness pandemic spreads across the globe, people are prioritising companionship. What's more, they aren't afraid to turn to technology to fill the void, engaging with AI chatbots for emotional gratification as much as practical services. AI promises the rise of artificial empathy and an overhaul of care structures, including elderly care and parenting – and people are ready to embrace it to mitigate the ongoing crisis.

As social media has simultaneously boosted emotional honesty and knocked self-esteem, mental health issues are on the rise and support systems need reinforcement. More than 70% of Americans feel failed by the healthcare system, and in the UK, the NHS waitlist rose to a record 7.75 million in late 2023. With countries like the UK and France raising retirement ages, the demand for long-term care has increased, prompting people to seek alternative solutions – from telemedicine to community-based care programs – to address the pressing care crisis. The very notion of care is in flux. In this context, people are turning to brands and public figures for a helping hand, from BetterHelp and Gymshark offering free care to those that need it to Megan thee Stallion and Olivia Rodrigo using their platforms to democratise access to care for marginalised communities.

Everyday Empathy

Gen Z (born 1997-2010)

Gen Alpha (born 2011-present)

United States

Beauty

Back-to-schoolers are booking 5 am natural glam makeup appointments for the first day of school. As teenagers and Gen Alpha increasingly spend on beauty products, this trend raises concerns about their priorities on aesthetics, driven by social media's influence on their self-image.