Lives of Tomorrow

The climate crisis is an existential threat unlike any we have ever faced, but can its consequences also be its solutions? In this episode of Lives of Tomorrow, award-winning science and environment writer Gaia Vince joins WGSN CEO Carla Buzasi to talk about climate change, and climate solutions.Gaia left a career in journalism to undertake a first-hand investigation of climate change, and in particular its impact on poor and indigenous communities around the world. Her experience has informed a series of books, her latest being Nomad Century: How to Survive the Climate Upheaval, which explores how we can plan for and manage climate migration, and how we can restore the planet to a habitable state. The Financial Times called it “a future atlas of human geography, showing where will be habitable and for how many”.Carla and Gaia discuss how climate-related migration could help solve some of its impacts, and the concept of ‘just transition’ – moving to a more sustainable economy in a way that is fair for everyone. Gaia also shares her predictions for the future, and explains why it’s critical to act now and have a vision for our future cities, so that infrastructure is in place for our fast-evolving world.

Why is a sexual revolution happening in Asia-Pacific, and how is it impacting global sexual awareness? In this episode of Lives of Tomorrow, WGSN CEO Carla Buzasi is joined by Debbie Yong, WGSN’s Senior Strategist for Insight in APAC, to find out why. Beyond sexual awareness, Carla and Debbie talk about shifting attitudes towards marriage in the region, and the rapidly growing adult toy market.Debbie is based in Singapore, and before moving into trend forecasting at WGSN, she worked as a journalist for most of her career, covering retail and consumer news, and spending time in Hong Kong, where she wrote about China and the region for global publications such as BBC Monitoring. One of her most recent forecasts at WGSN looks at the landscape of sexual awareness in APAC, and its global impact.Key takeaways from the forecast include data on the billion dollar adult toy industry in China, an increased desire to explore sexuality in APAC, and why ageing populations and decreasing fertility rates are making authorities in the region rethink their approach to sex.Debbie talks Carla through why there is an increased appetite to explore sexual desire in APAC, and why more people are seeking alternatives to marriage. Plus they explore what this increased consumer base means for brands in the space, and how they can engage and sustain relationships with consumers.Learn more about WGSN forecasts here.

Research by media company The News Movement finds 75% of new information consumed by 18-25 year olds globally is on social media. So, most things this cohort will hear about for the first time in their lives will be on a social platform. Does this idea shock you, or is this the new norm for the long run?In this episode of Lives of Tomorrow, WGSN CEO Carla Buzasi speaks to British journalist Kamal Ahmed about the future of news.Kamal is the Editor In Chief and Co Founder of The News Movement and with a career spanning three decades, in both print and broadcast journalism, he’s seen the media landscape evolve. As usual on Lives of Tomorrow, we look forward to discussing forecasts and innovations that impact how we’ll live in the future.In this episode, Kamal and Carla debate the future of news, what younger audiences want, ways to engage them and how storytelling is changing. Kamal opesn up about his career pivot leaving behind the BBC, where he was Editorial Director of News, to help create a new media company with the mission of engaging and catering to younger audiences. Carla was founding Editor-in-Chief of The Huffington Post UK and like Kamal has a wealth of experience as a journalist. In this conversation we hear about Carla’s journey in journalism and chart how the media landscape has changed over time.Together, Kamal and Carla share insights into ways to engage a younger audience, where to reach them and crucially how to maintain that engagement. A timely conversation, with the Ofcom News Consumption Survey data reflected in this episode. A key finding from the survey highlighted 12-15 year olds in the UK get their news from Tik-Tok. Kamal talks about the audience being front and centre in the thought process when sharing content across multiple platforms, and the science behind this.As well as insights and expertise, we hear about Kamal, what makes him tick, his go to takeaway and why he doesn’t binge but consumes TV series that only begin with ‘B’.

As Gen Z is maturing, fast approaching a pivotal time in their lives, starting their careers and occupying key positions in society. Their impact on the future of our communities remains a significant question. How will this generation shape society in the years ahead? Additionally, it's essential to explore the thoughts of Gen Z concerning the future—are they more inclined towards anxiety or hopefulness?In this episode of Lives of Tomorrow, Carla Buzasi, CEO of WGSN, speaks with Ziad Ahmed, a prominent 24-year-old figure from Gen Z. Gen Z are those individuals between the ages of 18 and 26 today. Ziad is an American-Muslim-Bangladeshi entrepreneur with a Yale degree in Political Science. He runs a marketing company that specializes in helping brands and manufacturers comprehend the mindset and behaviours of Gen Z.In this episode Carla gets Ziad’s insights into the ways companies can engage, sustain and grow with a Gen Z audience. Drawing on his experience of consulting brands on how best to communicate with this cohort, Ziad explains the most effective ways of attracting a Gen-Z audience.

In this week’s episode, Cassandra Napoli, Senior Strategist on our Insight team, joins WGSN CEO Carla Busazi to discuss what is real and what is fake online, and how AI is impacting this.In an age where more and more information is AI-created, how do we gauge its authenticity?This inspired Cassandra Napoli to write a forecast on this topic looking into fake news circulating online, and placing a spotlight on the implications of artificially manipulated content that warps reality.Cassandra explains why it’s becoming difficult for reality to surface on social media platforms as AI becomes more sophisticated. Explaining how we are in an era where misinformation, filtered feeds and deep fakes are a reality, we must navigate with caution.Carla and Cassandra also talk about how AI is impacting law and policy. In the US, there are proposals for full disclosure of AI in political adverts ahead of the elections next year. What implications will this have?You can also hear analysis on media literacy, and how equipped we are to deal with the increasing challenges of distinguishing between the false and the fake.Learn more about WGSN forecasts here.

From sustainable funerals to death literacy, the pandemic has forced us to look at how we address death as a society. In this episode of Lives of Tomorrow CEO of trend forecasting and consumer insight company WGSN Carla Buzasi and senior strategist Allyson Rees explore the key issues that will shape the ideas, rituals and economy of death in 2023 and beyond.Allyson has covered death and rituals as part of WGSN’s consumer lifestyle coverage since 2017 and has just published a forecast called ‘The Future of Death’.Two factors were key in producing this research, ageing populations and the pandemic. The latter brought the topic of death to the fore and there was an increase in discussion around death and dying on social media. Allyson and colleagues at WGSN followed this shift and were influential in the research into this forecast which spanned over an 18-month period.In this episode Carla and Allyson discuss the future of death, attitudes and discussions on this topic and any shifts noticed as well as traditions and rituals that are emerging. You can also expect to hear conversations around how we talk about death, is it still taboo or are we changing our behaviours and talking about it, planning it and being open with our loved ones. In this episode, we cover:how we address death as a societysustainable funeralsritualseconomy of death in 2023 and beyondAllyson shares the insights acquired through her research.Learn more about her work here.

This episode of the Lives of Tomorrow podcast looks at how we engage with faith, spirituality and religion. What is religion? What does it mean and how do we engage, if at all? How does it impact us and in 5-10 years what will the landscape of religion look like? In this episode we explore the idea that AI has the power to write its own religious book that people can follow.Brielle Saggese is an insight strategist at WGSN and writes forecasts on various topics. In her forecast ‘Remixing Religion’ Brielle explores how young people are engaging with faith, purpose and religious ideas in new ways. She studies how their search for meaning will impact in-person experiences, aesthetics and rituals in the US, UK and EMEA markets.In this episode, we cover:Alternative religionsData charting the fastest growing religionsSpirituality of religious public gatheringsImpact social media is having on young people in relation to religionBrielle shares the insights acquired through her research as well as her lived experience with religion from her childhood to now and how she navigates faith with host Carla Buzasi, CEO of trend forecasting and consumer insight company WGSN.Learn more about her work here.

A conversation about the future of fatherhood with CEO of WGSN Carla Buzasi and US YouTuber Rob Kenney.Rob launched his series ‘Dad, How Do I?’ after struggling dealing with the pain of an absent father. He posts tutorial videos to help other dads fill gaps in their knowledge to teach their kids and now has over 4 million followers. Rob talks about the future of fatherhood, how online communities can help fathers and how it makes him sad that his followers ask him simple things like how to tie their shoe laces.

Who would have thought that veganism and tattoos would end up being mainstream? And what will be the next thing that moves from the fringes to the masses? This episode just might give you the answers.Carla Buzasi, CEO of WGSN is joined by award-winning business columnist and brand consultant  Helen Edwards to discuss how tomorrow's brand growth will come from the fringes and how to get there first. In her latest book, "From Marginal to Mainstream," Helen outlines strategies for identifying and capitalising on emerging trends and subcultures. Expect to hear Carla and Helen discuss the rise of veganism, Helen’s forecast of emerging trends and how to stay ahead of the curve and succeed in the ever-changing world of business.

Have you taken a break from social media due to screentime overload and toxic media? You're not alone. As mental health becomes a priority, social media platforms are stepping up with resources and solutions to promote a "care culture". In this episode, mental health advocate Jorge Alvarez shares his journey and how he's working with platforms like Tik Tok and Instagram to make social media safer and more inclusive. We also explore the future of care culture, what form it will take within apps and predict how this will impact creators and users.Join WGSN CEO Carla Buzasi as she interviews Jorge and explores the rise of the caring economy, it’s future and the importance of digital rest stops for creators and users alike. Discover how social media care culture can improve our wellbeing and communities, both online and offline.