Culture evolves every day on social media, from rising trends to widespread movements. Facebook started off as a forum for college students almost 20 years ago and is now a platform with two billion daily active users.
People are using Facebook for more than connecting with friends, family and groups, but also to discover what’s new and what’s next. People’s interests extend from groups on specialised topics to social impact and everything in between.
In the latest edition of Culture Rising 2023, Meta Foresight shares our unique understanding of what matters to more than 3.7 billion people who use Meta technologies around the world. Over four million trending conversation topics on Facebook and Instagram (countries represented in the Asia Pacific include: India, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam), and learnings from a global survey of 21,000 people (including people from South Korea and Vietnam), which have been distilled into 20 key trends.
These trends cover a range of important topics and have been mapped into four overarching themes: exploratory identities, refined relationships, assertive aspirations and lived values.
Exploratory identities
The way we see ourselves defines how we see and engage with the world. And, our research tells us that identity is increasingly about the journey. People are exploring identity as they discuss bodily integrity, embrace fluidity across cultures and demonstrate how food can connect us. 71 per cent of people surveyed globally are seeking to understand cultures beyond their own.
As people explore and expand their sense of self, brands can also ensure people feel seen, represented and supported. Often the most powerful moves a brand can make is to go beyond campaigns and look to solve real-world problems and unlock new opportunities.
Also Read: The secret sauce of how brands and creators use video for growth and success
Refined relationships
People’s relationships are the very core (if not the definition) of happiness. While this truth remains eternal, the types, shapes and ways we connect are always in flux.
In a global survey, two in three people said relationships with close friends and family have a positive impact on their overall wellness. People are showing a growing appreciation for events and moments of all kinds. Other trending areas include a 631 per cent growth in conversations about Chinese astrology on Facebook.
Another facet of relationships is the one with pets. #AnimalMemes are increasingly serving as a relatable and safe way to talk about mental health. We have seen a year-on-year growth of more than 2,744 per cent in conversations on pet adoption and companion dogs.
As brands look to reach new audiences, develop an innovative AR experience or dial up their authenticity factor, they should consider diverse creators — being sure to give them the creative freedom to do what they do best.
Assertive aspirations
Globally, we are asserting (and often acting on) new aspirations around mental wellness, meaningful work, home improvements, nonstop fitness, money matters and more. People surveyed now report that their mental/emotional health is equally important as—if not more important than—physical health.
Conversations on Facebook and Instagram reveal the breadth of therapeutic approaches people are discussing: They’re seeking ways to regulate or balance their thoughts and feelings (metacognition and mindfulness), embracing #neurodivergence, finding moments of self-reflection, exploring ecopsychology and even looking to shimmy their troubles away while deepening their self-awareness (dance therapy and biodanza). And on Facebook, people are not just talking about mental wellness but banding together to maintain it.
People are also embracing that knowledge is power — especially in money matters. Some 91 per cent of people surveyed globally express concern about the economy and 54 per cent report that financial resources are the biggest barrier to being able to achieve their life goals. People are starting to take it upon themselves to learn about financial literacy and invest in their own financial intelligence.
That’s leading many to take matters into their own hands, with 20 per cent of people surveyed globally saying that they have taken it upon themselves to learn about financial literacy – a trend especially pronounced in Vietnam here in the Asia Pacific.
Just look at the new wave of creators emerging around this topic, like Tuệ Nghi and so many more. An important part of our work on AI-powered recommendations to connect you to people you want to know or should know is fueling creator discovery on Facebook. People on Facebook will now find highly relevant content from public Groups in their Feed — without them having to do any searching or depending on word of mouth to uncover a Group.
Also Read: How to meet your customer expectations fluently with the power of business messaging
Lived values
People’s values are evolving, along with the dedication to living them. People are getting serious about how they’re discussing issues like climate change. Millennials are more aware of the impact of climate change on their personal lives with nearly 50 per cent wishing they had less impact.
To that end, it’s not surprising that there are large numbers of conversations around electric potential, green vehicles and biodegradable waste happening on Facebook and Instagram. Globally, 74 per cent of consumers report that finding renewable/sustainable energy sources is important to them – making it a potential rallying cry to all get behind.
With billions of people on Earth doing interesting things at any given time, we’re working on opening up that world for more people by showing you content you’re likely interested in. We aim to give everyone tools to express themselves in the format that works best for them: whether it’s text, photo or video.
And we make it easy for people to share with the audience what matters most to them. Sometimes that’s with friends, sometimes with a group, and increasingly many people want to share publicly.
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