MANILA, Philippines – The Ericsson ConsumerLab recently released a report showing noticeable consumer trends, especially with regard to technology.

The research program is based on interviews of “over 100,000 people in more than 40 countries and 15 megacities” and has 10 trends. 

We distilled some of the trends into 4 takeaways on what to expect in the times ahead.

The cloud lifestyle

The trends listed in the report show the emergence of computing as something that’s moving away from the home or office, and into every facet of life through increased sales of tablets and smartphones, mobile computing, and the use of cloud-based technology and services.

The cloud lifestyle is growing more prevalent these days. Before, one’s focus on a task was usually done at one particular place. These days, you can use a computer while walking or at the coffee shop, whether it’s your smartphone, laptop, or tablet.

Using a network to keep your files synced across multiple devices makes it easy to switch from your home, to the dinner table, to the boardroom, all while working on the same task.

In fact, this particular write-up was done using an application that allows me to share my notes with others and sync it to other computers for later editing. Good job, technology!

Women and the smartphone market

Simply put, women are driving the adoption rate of smartphone technology. They do this by combining various means of communication and their daily activities with the use and adoption of smartphones.

As the report states, “On a global scale, female smartphone owners are more active than men when using SMS. About 77% of women send and receive photos, 59% use social networking, 24% use apps to check in at physical locations and 17% redeem coupons using their smartphones.”

In developed Asia, 87% of women send and receive photos as opposed to 79% of men.

Creativity and community

The online world is growing into a place where people are growing better connected and more creative at the same time.

The increased adoption of smartphones means being online more often, and it allows people to create personal social security networks and communities.

Being online allows people to make new connections they wouldn’t be able to otherwise. Not only can they keep in touch with others as a result, but they can also use their social networks as an information and resource gathering framework, whether one might need help finding a new job or funding their personal projects.

This connectivity also translates into places with high connectivity becoming hubs for social creativity. The report states that, “12% of respondents in our city study say that the main reason for using social networks is to connect and exchange ideas with others.”

That new job one might be looking for may be a means to an end, but that personal project being crowdfunded could very well be the next big creative endeavor, whether it be a game, a book, or a music video.

Changing learning

Perhaps the more startling thing about the consumer trends report is how it touches upon a shift in education as well.

The nature of learning is changing as people in schools and colleges bring their technology into the classroom, and the classroom itself uses new technologies to keep in tune with the change in learners.

More importantly, if you can get online, you also have a shot at learning new things, as learning resources are readily available online. This changes the dynamic of learning as it levels the playing field if you can introduce children to technology, and use tech as a stepping stone to further learning. – Rappler.com