Marketing is the most obvious factor influencing the trend-following behavior of society. This is why you sometimes feel that you have to get Office 2021 for Mac because you’ve seen it somewhere from an ad. 

In fact, this can be seen in almost every product category, from fashion to food and drink. Companies produce products that are designed to appeal to the most people possible, often at the expense of specific audience needs.

The Power of Peer Pressure

The desire to fit in and conform with our peers is another key factor in the trend-following behavior of society. Whether we are conscious of it or not, we often want to be accepted by our peers and surrounded by people who think and act like us. This often leads us to conform to the trends of our group, such as favoring one type of food over another or wearing particular styles of clothing. Peer pressure is often most powerful in our teenage years when we are most concerned with fitting in. 

As we get older, we naturally become more confident and less concerned with fitting in with a particular group, and this can often reduce the influence of peer pressure on our trend-following behavior. At its core, peer pressure is driven by a desire to belong and be accepted, but this can lead us to make choices that may not be right for us.

Exploring the Psychology of Trend Following

As we explore the psychology behind why society follows what’s trending, it is important to understand the overall trend-following process. This is because it can shed light on the subtle psychological forces behind our decision-making as well as how they relate to one another. 

The overall trend-following process can be broken down into three main stages:

1. Awareness
2. Evaluation
3. Adoption

In the awareness stage, we become aware of a new product or trend and its potential benefits. In the evaluation stage, we explore how it could fit into our lives and how it could benefit us. Finally, in the adoption stage, we make a decision to adopt the trend fully into our lives. 

As we move through these stages, we become increasingly likely to follow what’s trending, but we also become more likely to think critically about our decision-making.