My 22 Bookish Trends and Predictions For 2023

….and the Books I’ll Be Turning To For Perspective

Jan 28, 2023

Honestly, this is new territory for me, at least the part of sharing trends and predictions with others. But for whatever it’s worth, here goes with a few of my thoughts on what I believe is on the horizon for 2023 and beyond. So buckle your seatbelt and take a read:

Are We Witnessing the End of Marriage and Committed Partnerships?

According to recent statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau, the total number of marriages recorded in the U.S. in 2020 plummeted to the lowest it’s been since 1963. In addition, the marriage rate, which measures the number of marriages per 1,000 people, fell from 6.1 marriages per 1,000 to just 5.1.

What all of this suggests is that not only are fewer young adults married, but also that fewer are in committed relationships. This same report found that roughly four-in-ten adults were unpartnered – that is, neither married nor living with a partner.

These findings are very consistent with random conversations I am having with both men and women about the state of relationships these days. Many women I’ve talked to, having been stung by a toxic relationship or divorce, are opting out of committed partnerships, perfectly content in building community through sisterhood and leisure pursuits that fill their inner longings. Many men on the other hand appear confused at this new narrative — one where women while still longing for a relationship are expressing the fact that they don’t need one in order to feel fulfilled or content.

Recommended Book: Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence by Esther Perel.

Our World Is Becoming More Nomadic With The Rise of Alternative Housing and Mobility Options

I believe we are seeing the rise of more nomadic people, with fewer people choosing to be tethered to one geographic location. Beyond Airbnb and VRBO, this is spawning a whole host of new hybrid coliving/coworking communities like Outsite that cater to digital nomads and others with a propensity for moving freely around the world. We are also seeing a growing number of mobility options (scooters, electric bikes, walkable thoroughfares ) for those choosing to go car free. Also, look for interest in car free communities and 15-minute cites to accelerate forward in the days and months ahead.

Recommended Book: Move: The Forces Uprooting Us by Parag Khanna

Many Restaurants Will Permanently Close With Ghost Kitchens Emerging to Fill the Gap

I predict that eroding profit margins, food delivery supply chain issues, and worker shortages will lead to the demise of growing numbers of restaurants over the next 12-18 months. Replacing them will be a new model centered around “ghost kitchens” which are food prep facilities with no waiters and no dining room, only pickup and delivery. Look for the rise of drones as a new form of food delivery option.

Recommended Book: Delivering the Digital Restaurant: Your Roadmap to the Future of Food by Carl Orsbourn and Meredith Sandland

We’ll See a Women Only Presidential Ticket In 2024

Across the world, women are taking the reins of political leadership in a growing number of counties. Along this same narrative, I predict that former U.S. Secretary of State and Foreign Diplomat Condoleeza Rice and former South Carolina Governor and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley will come together to create a formable GOP Ticket in 2024. Rice (African American) who grew up in the Jim Crow South and Haley (Indian American) will strategically use this as a softening point for addressing racial and gender divisiveness in the U.S., moving our nation more towards the center.

Recommended Books: No Higher Honor: A Memoir of My Years in Washington by Condoleezza Rice and If You Want Something Done: Leadership Lessons from Bold Women by Nikki R. Haley

NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) Will Erode The Image of College Football

Eyebrows were raised when it was rumored that Ohio State’s sensational wide receiver Marvin Harrison, Jr. was approached by USC about a potential big payday if he agreed to transfer there to play football. This is just one example of what many are seeing as the new Wild Wild West of college football, replete with player transfers, poaching, and big money paydays for young college athletes. Coaches are now sounding the alarm bells around how player tampering is rampant throughout the country, potentially ruinous to the integrity of college football and the world of student athletes. Many believe that college football is a trajectory of becoming European Football without transfer fees or contracts.

Mushrooms Emerge as the New Societal Rage

Look for mushroom to explode in popularity during 2023 and beyond. According to the market research firm IMARC, the global mushroom market was valued at $58.8 billion last year and will reach an estimated $86.5 billion by 2027.

Mushrooms are known by many health enthusiasts as a low-calorie food that packs a nutritional punch. Loaded with many health-boosting vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, they’ve long been viewed as an important part of any diet. But the bigger news is around the movement to decriminalize or legalize psychedelic substances such as “magic mushrooms,” driven by a playbook similar to the destigmatization of cannabis over the past decade.

But that’s not all. In the world of high fashion, vegan leathers made from fungi mycelium are inspiring the creativity of many top designers. Moreover, mushrooms are being deployed in the bioremediation cleanup of disasters like wildfires and oil spills. And in our homes, our houses one day could be insulated with fungi-derived materials.

The Homelessness Issue Reaches a Breaking Point

I recently ran into NBA basketball hall of famer Bill Walton at the Las Vegas airport and we immediately jumped into a conversation about the growing homeless problem in San Diego where he resides. This is a reality faced by many cities across the U.S. where homelessness is reeling out of control, with those facing serious addiction and mental health issues and human excrement and needles present on many city streets. Many city leaders are now recognizing that beyond housing, compassionate, rehabilitation services are badly needed in order to effectively address this issue.

Recommended Book: Answers Behind The RED DOOR: Battling the Homeless Epidemic by Michele Steeb (Author), David M. Flanagan

Look For Water Shortages to Potential Cripple Major Cities In The West

At the time of this writing, I am currently in Las Vegas, Nevada where there is a lot of local chatter taking place about the water situation here. Here in the U.S. we use a TON of water, more per person than anywhere in the world — three times that of China and 15 times that of the Danish.

The seven Colorado River states (Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming) and Mexico which divide up rights for 5.4 trillion gallons of river water each year are particularly susceptible to water shortage issues. Problem is, lifestyle habits are hard to break with forced restrictions on showers and lawn watering likely to raise the ire of stubborn local residents.

Recommended Book: All the Water the Law Allows: Las Vegas and Colorado River Politics (Volume 6) (The Environment in Modern North America) by Christian S. Harrison

Dash Will Emerge the First True Global P2P Digital Currency

As a former blockchain and cryptocurrency journalist, I make a point of staying apprised of the pulse of this forever evolving landscape. And while I believe that the investment side of the crypto equation has become a bit dicey, I am all in on its future in terms of peer-to-peer transactions.

Dash is one of the first cryptocurrencies that come to mind when I think of a best-in-class blockchain with instant transactions and micro fees. Launched in 2014, Dash has been operating for more than 8 years. With network features practically unmatched in the crypto world, it has proven its status as an exceptional solution for fast and low-cost payments.

DashDirect allows users to shop with their DASH at over 150,000 locations and online merchants. The products eligible for purchase range from apparel and electronics to food and entertainment. Moreover, users can save an average of 5% with every purchase. Basically, DashDirect is the perfect app to use when you wish to exchange your crypto for products.

Corporations Will Subsidize Housing As The Next Employee Benefit

With “Great Resignation” fueled worker shortages continuing to create havoc for businesses, many companies are scrambling to deliver perks that will incentivize the recruitment and retention of top worker talent.

Complimenting a suite of benefits like healthcare and life insurance that employers have been traditionally offered, I predict that a number of organizations will add subsidized housing allowances to their package of benefit options.

An example of this is at The University of Chicago which is among several academic institutions that assists employees with housing costs. Through its Employer-Assisted Housing Program, U of C provides up to $10,000 in down payment assistance or up to $2,400 in rental assistance to full-time, benefits-eligible employees who live in one of several neighborhoods surrounding the campus.

At PPR Travel Nursing which sends nurses to different locations throughout the country where their skills are needed the most, employees receive not only competitive pay, 401 (k) matching, and travel reimbursement but housing stipends or paid private housing. Look for this trend to accelerate in the corporate world as companies look to address their worker shortages.

Recommended Book: Yes to the City: Millennials and the Fight for Affordable Housing by Max Holleran

Robots and AI Adoption Will Surge Amid Worker Shortages

U.S. labor shortages are renewing conversation about robotics and automation. Viewed from an opportunity as opposed to a threat lens, the prevailing narrative is about filling critical workforce gaps versus putting jobs at risk.

Sectors ranging from retail to manufacturing are critically short of the labor needed to drive the economy forward. There simply aren’t enough skilled workers for current work demands, nor enough unskilled workers willing to learn.

Part of the solution to this problem, unsurprisingly, is artificial intelligence and robotics. As with other industries, it is inevitable that many formerly human jobs will be replaced with AI. But instead of worries about jobs at risk, conversations are increasingly directed toward how AI can help keep operations running and staff employed for a business.

The robots are here, but they’re not yet fully present in our lives. And suddenly, in many parts of the economy and society, they can’t show up quickly enough. An example of this is the Tipsy Robot Bar, which created quite a stir when I first lived in the Las Vegas area in 2018. Today, bars and restaurants are reexamining the importance of robotics in filling critical worker gaps.

I predict that we are fast headed to what I am calling “the digital genome knowledge worker” which are machine learning digital representations of our workplace talents and skills for hire. In other words, employers will be able to hire our digital doppelgänger through a licensure agreement as an alternative to our needing to be physically present to deliver the work.

Universal Basic Income Experiments Will Grow To Address Wealth Gaps

In 2022, 68 percent of the total wealth in the United States was owned by the top 10 percent of wage earners while the lowest 50 percent of workers accounted for just 3.2 percent of that wealth. The gap between the haves and the have-nots continues to widen.

Given this trend, we are now seeing a flurry of Universal Basic Income experiments taking place across the world, a trend that I believe will accelerate from a public policy standpoint 2023 and beyond. A universal basic income, or UBI, is defined as “a periodic cash payment unconditionally delivered to all on an individual basis, without means-test or work requirement,” greater freedom, opportunity to pursue more meaningful and purposeful work.

Stockton, California: The Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration (SEED), a basic income experiment that began in 2019 is the first of its kind in the United States. It provides $500 per month to 125 randomly selected residents of Stockton, California, for 18 months. The goal of the experiment is to measure the impact of basic income on financial security, health, and well-being.

Utrecht, Netherlands: The Utrecht Basic Income Experiment is an ongoing basic income experiment that began in January 2016. The experiment provides a basic income of €960 per month to a randomly selected group of 250 people living in Utrecht, Netherlands. The goal of the experiment is to measure the impact of basic income on employment, health, and well-being.

Oakland, California: The Oakland Resilience Project is a basic income experiment that began in 2019 and is the first of its kind in the United States. It provides $500 per month to 600 randomly selected low-income residents of Oakland, California, for 18 months. The goal of the experiment is to measure the impact of basic income on financial security, health, and well-being.

Madrid, Spain: The Madrid Basic Income Experiment is an ongoing basic income experiment that began in June 2018. The experiment provides a basic income of €500 per month to a randomly selected group of 500 people living in Madrid,

Forthcoming SCOTUS Ruling Against Student Loan Forgiveness Will Result In a Tsunami of Student Loan Defaults

The Supreme Court has not yet heard a case regarding student loan forgiveness. But I believe that when it does, it will rule against it.

So for now, Biden keeps kicking the can up the road by suspending student loan payments. But failure on the part of SCOTUS to cancel student debt could have disastrous consequences for our economy. The good news for employers hungry for people is that workers may be forced back into traditional workplace situations in order to manage their mounting student loan debt.

Recommended Book: Indentured Students: How Government-Guaranteed Loans Left Generations Drowning in College Debt by Elizabeth Tandy Shermer

Micro- Farms Movement Will Flourish Amid Skyrocketing Food Costs

Soaring food costs along with a desire for healthy eating will lead a growing number of Americans to turn to planting and cultivating their own gardens as an alternative food source option.

The future of micro farms is therefore very bright as they have become increasingly popular in recent years due to their ability to produce fresh, local produce without the need for large amounts of land or resources. This farming option is becoming increasingly more efficient due to advances in technology and the development of new techniques.

In the future, micro farms will continue to become more efficient and will be able to produce larger quantities of food in a shorter amount of time. Additionally, micro farms will continue to be a viable option for those looking to start their own business or supplement their income. As the global population continues to increase, micro farms will become even more important in providing fresh, local produce.

Alternative Transportation and The Rise of Car Free Communities

Culdesac, the first car-free neighborhood built from scratch in the U.S. is coming to fruition in Tempe, Arizona. This, I believe, signals a growing movement among cities worldwide to stem the usage of cars and close streets to unmitigated traffic.

I’ve personally witnessed this trend up close and personal having amassed over 1,200 rideshare passenger rises since 2013. Given the growing amount of traffic in many cities, the availability of alternative transportation options, the expense of maintaining a car, and even parking costs, I believe that many others will follow a car-free path similar to my own.

Proposed Book: “Street Smart: The Rise of Cities and the Fall of Cars” by Samuel Schwartz

Marketing Will Go From Social Media Based to Community Based

I believe that bestselling Mark Schaefer is spot on in his belief that the future of marketing is about the fostering of community, connection, and belonging. Since he can give this theme more justice than I can, I encourage you to pick up his book.

Recommended Book: “Belonging to the Brand: Why Community Is The Last Great Marketing Strategy” by Mark Schaefer.

The Movie Theater Industry is Set For a Massive Disruption

I believe that the movie theater will experience a serious decline post pandemic, with nearly half of them folding. The global health crisis caused theaters around the world to close and the company lost $2.7 billion in 2020 and another $566 million in 2021. Cineworld Group, in fact, the world’s second largest movie theater chain and owner of Regal Cinemas reported that it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September 2022.

In the future, movie theaters will need to evolve their models to better respond to moviegoer taste. Specifically, these theaters will need to become more interactive and immersive through the use of virtual reality, augmented reality and other forms of interactive technology designed to make the moviegoing experience more engaging and entertaining. Moreover, movie theaters would be wise to offer more streaming options, allowing audiences by some sort of online survey to watch movies on demand.

Recommended Book: The Big Picture: The Fight for the Future of Movies By Ben Fritz

College Degrees May No Longer Be The Future

Pandemic shutdowns are no longer occurring. Yet student enrollments fell by 1.1% in fall 2022 from the prior year, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

Many believe that a college degree is no longer the future given that there are many other ways to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in today’s rapidly evolving world. With the continued emergence of new digital learning technologies, there are greater opportunities for people to learn and get experience without attending college.

By way of example, many are now turning to online courses and tutorials offered by private companies like Coursera to learn requisite job skills and knowledge. These courses are often less expensive and more accessible than traditional college courses, and can be completed at one’s own pace. Additionally, many employers are now looking for applicants with specific skills, rather than a college degree. This means that individuals can gain the skills they need to be successful without spending the time and money on a college degree.

Furthermore, the cost of a college degree is increasing, making it increasingly difficult for many people to attend college. With the cost of tuition and other expenses, many people are unable to afford the cost of a college degree. Additionally, the current job market is highly competitive, and many employers are looking for people with relevant experience, rather than a college degree.

Overall, a college degree is no longer the future because there are many other ways to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful. With the rise of technology and the changing job market, many people are turning to alternative methods of learning, such as online courses and tutorials, in order to gain the skills they need to succeed.

Recommended Book: Entrepreneuring the Future of Higher Education (The ACE Series on Higher Education) Paperback – January 7, 2021 by Mary Landon Darden

Chinese Medicine Practices Will Flourish Amid an Ailing Traditional Traditional Healthcare System

Traditional Chinese Medicine, or TCM, has long been my go-to. And the return on investment I’ve received in terms of my health over the years has been quite spectacular.

TCM practices, which date back over 2,000 years to the shamanistic era of the Shang Dynasty (c.16th century-11th century BC), includes such modalities as acupuncture, cupping, pain moxibustion (a form of heat therapy), herbal medicine, nutrition, tuina massage (used with modern medical techniques to treat a range of conditions), and exercise such as tai chi and qigong, which combine movement and meditation. Look for these and other Eastern Medicine practices to continue to flourish amid a post pandemic traditional healthcare system that is faltering mightily.

A New Movement Around Retail Behavioral Health Will Will Emerge As Depression, Anxiety, and Addiction Levels Soar

The current state of mental health in the U.S. is just staggering:

• 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. experiences a mental health condition each year.

• 1 in 25 adults in the U.S. experiences a serious mental illness each year.

• 1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year.

• Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10-34 in the U.S.

• Over 50% of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14.

• Over 80% of youth with a mental health condition are not receiving any mental health services.

• African Americans and Hispanic Americans each use mental health services at about half the rate of Caucasian Americans.

• Only 41% of adults in the U.S. with a mental illness received mental health services in the past year.

In the same vein as travel medicine and concierge medicine, I believe we will see some sort of movement afoot to create more privately run, 24-hour clinics complete with teams of intervention specialists to offer support for the growing mental health crisis in the U.S.

One example of this is REAL, which touts itself as a new kind of wellness membership that makes caring for your mental health a sustainable part of your everyday life. Those who join Real gain access to a community-driven model of care with on-demand resources, monthly mental health tracking, and group therapy—all developed by a team of licensed therapists.

Look for more of these concierge models that cater to both private pay clients as well as those who benefit from some sort of sliding scale arrangement

Recommended Book: Healing: Our Path from Mental Illness to Mental Health by Thomas Insel

Concerns Around Digital Privacy and Cybersecurity Breaches Will Grow

According to the data collection firm Statista, during the third quarter of 2022, approximately 15 million data records were exposed worldwide through data breaches. This figure had increased by 37 percent compared to the previous quarter. Since the first quarter of 2020, the highest number of exposed data records was detected in the fourth quarter of 2020, nearly 125 million data sets.

Given the growing concerns about privacy, these protection applications are soaring in popularity:

Increased use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs): VPNs are becoming increasingly popular as they allow users to maintain their online privacy by masking their IP address and encrypting their data.
Use of Encrypted Messaging Apps: With the rise of messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram, users are increasingly turning to these apps as a way to keep their conversations secure and private.
Adoption of Privacy-Centric Browsers: Browsers such as Brave, Tor, and DuckDuckGo are becoming increasingly popular as they offer more privacy-centric features such as enhanced tracking protection and anti-fingerprinting technology.
Use of Password Managers: Password managers are becoming increasingly popular as they allow users to store all their passwords in one secure, encrypted place.
Adoption of Privacy-Focused Operating Systems: Operating systems such as Qubes OS and Tails are becoming increasingly popular as they offer enhanced security features and privacy protections.

Recommended Book: The Fight for Privacy: Protecting Dignity, Identity, and Love in the Digital Age by Danielle Keats Citron

Massive Shifts In The Global World Order Will Lead to Stagnancy and Fear

Kleptocracy is a form of government in which those in power use their authority to exploit the people and natural resources of their own nation for personal gain. Corrupt leaders use political power to expropriate the wealth of the people and land they govern, typically through the embezzlement or misappropriation of government funds at the expense of the wider population.

Here are some of the kleptocracy trends currently being witnessed in countries across the world.

The rise of authoritarian leaders who use their positions to enrich themselves and their cronies.

The concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a few, leading to extreme inequality and poverty.

The erosion of civil liberties and the rule of law, enabling impunity for those in power.

The use of state resources to further the interests of the ruling elite, rather than the public good.

The use of corruption and bribery to gain access to resources and influence decision-making.

The weakening of independent institutions and the press, which are essential to a functioning democracy.

I believe that we will continue to see growing amounts of civil unrest in countries across the world as citizens rise up in opposition to the prevailing power and control narrative of these political leaders.

Recommended Book: American Kleptocracy: How the U.S. Created the World's Greatest Money Laundering Scheme by Casey Michel

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Diamond-Michael Scott, Global Book Ambassador, Great Books, Great Minds —“Igniting a New World of Community, Connection, and Belonging, One Book at a Time”

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