The impact levels of new and emerging macro trends are defined as: emerging (likely to drive business needs in the future—keep watching), through maturing, to burning (you cannot afford to ignore—already driving new business needs).

There is a marked difference between digital natives and digital immigrants. Technology, particularly communication platforms, is deeply embedded into the lives of this younger generation now reaching adulthood. Societies are becoming more digitally connected.

Opposing, and perhaps in reaction to, this trend toward individualization are new ways of community-building that are now emerging. Much of this is taking place on the Internet, and Web 2.0 is an important carrier for this, and is helping the trend rapidly reach maturity. In everyday, offline life, however, things are moving more slowly.

As the baby-boomers reach retirement age, there will be a boom in the percentage of pensioners. In many countries there is an aging population. The trend is that seniors-citizens will increasingly stay or return to the workplace, either because they want to or because they need to.

The citizen / consumer is being empowered by participation in and easier access to information that Web 2.0 enables.

Boundaries between work and home are blurring as technology enables us to connect to the office or home from anywhere. With intensive lifestyles, maintaining a good work-life balance becomes more complex as the two become intertwined.

Households in the West are increasingly multi-ethnic. This is creating all kinds of cultural tensions and reactions that are not always consistent.