Youth Trend Report 2013 by Trendwolves

EUROPEAN YOUTH TREND REPORT 2013

Table of contents TRENDS 2013

INFLUENCER THEORY

GENERATION BY ELEMENTS

We describe and visualise eight trends in as many inspiring chapters. Each trend starts off with a brief summary, followed by the underlying story and an overflow of concrete examples and interviews with young people.

Although Trendwolves looks ahead, it also keeps abreast of the current state of affairs. We do research on a continuous basis. We keep up to date on European young people by way of online surveys, trend labs, in-depth interviews, observations and diaries. In 2012 we did a large research about influencers and who exactly they are.

Gathering, skills, connectivity, rebellion, heroes, looks, travel, music, sex and happiness. The ten Trendwolvesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Elements help to analyse youth culture and their standing in life. We zoom in on each of these 10 Elements.

14 26 46 60 74 90 102 116

T OT A L LOST R A W CULTURE S U S P IC IOUS MINDS F UT URE PREPAREDNESS Y O U N G MAKERS T IM E F OR EXPERTISE S E N S E AND SENSITIVITY D RE AMO TION

130 142

I N F L U E N CE R T H E O R Y I N F L U E N CE R S

160 162 164 166 168 170 172 174 176 178

MUSIC SEX HAPPINESS REBELLION H ER O E S CONNECTIVITY G AT H E R I N G T RA V E L L I N G SKILLS LOOKS

CITY REPORTS

MARKET REPORTS

ZEITGEIST

External trend spotters and cool kids share their insights in a short piece. City coolhunters from 10 European cities introduce and comment on a few cool concepts that they spotted in their city.

But what do all these trends and information mean for your company in a specific sector? We picked out some interesting sectors and took a good look at what is happening in that sector with general trends and specific examples.

Who are Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s young people? To provide a good image of who we are always talking about, we give you the facts and figures about European youth.

182 186 190 194 198 200 204 208 212 216

B A RCELONA P A RIS P R ISHTINA L O NDON H E LSINKI B E RLIN L I SBON A N TWE RP I S TANBUL A M ST ERDAM

22 2 22 8 23 4 24 2 25 0 25 4 26 0 26 6 27 6

E D UC A TI O N E N ER G Y F I N A N CE F O O D & D RI N K S G AM I N G M E D I A & C OM MU N I CA T I O N N I G HT L IF E B E A UT Y , F A S H I O N & S E X W OR K

284 286 288 290 292 294 296

H O W M A NY ? U N E MP L O Y ME N T E NT R E P R E N E UR S H I P L E A V I N G TH E P A R E N TA L H O U S H O L D N OT E MP L OY E D , N O E D U C AT I O N , N O T R A I N I N G H E A LT H & W E L L - B E I N G C OM P U TE R & I NT ER N ET U S E

FEMMES BATAILLES

Raw Culture

Whoever thought that the cupcake, knitting and sewing trends of recent years meant that young women were on their way back to the kitchen sink were very wrong. In fact, the crisis once again highlighted the capacity for survival of women. Women are better at communication and social media than men and excel in group scenarios. A new group of strong women is emerging. They are not hairy-legged, bra-burning feminists with an urge to profile themselves. These are young women who are standing up for equality. Equality in terms of treatment, choice and income, without having to give up their femininity for it. They are even not ashamed to use their femininity, when necessary.

We saw a lot of female heroines in cinema theatres and on TV during 2012. In 2010 the sociologist, Kathryn Gilpatric, carried out research into the female roles from 300 top-20 films made between 1991 and 2005. Her analysis revealed that even the strong women always end up in trouble and need a male saviour. Another study by Jeffrey Brown revealed that female heroines – if they effectively have an important role – are almost always very sexy.

This is now changing. Lisbeth Salander or The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was a precursor. In the past year Hollywood has brought powerful heroines to the stage. And it was a major success. Three of the top ten films of the past year had a female . . . ON T HE S CREEN protagonist: Katniss (2) from The Hunger The evolution of the image of women is Games, Snow White (3) and the Huntsman, clearly visible in the entertainment sector. In and Disney’s Brave (4). And these three the case of gaming, for example, take the ul- women convey a clear message: if you mess timate female personage: Lara Croft (1). The with a woman, you might get hit. Hard. decision was made to have a female persona in the first Tomb Raiders in the mid-’90s because games had largely been directed at men up until that time. Lara Croft was a sexy woman characterised by a nice ass and a firm pair of breasts which began to take on increasingly unrealistic proportions with each sequel. This is in stark contrast to the remake of Tomb Raider that will appear in March 2013. In this movie Lara is depicted as a young, independent and intelligent woman who does not have a D-cup or a wasp waist.

... O N

PA P E R A N D C AT WA L K Recently in fashion we are also seeing women depicted at their coolest. Tim Walker’s Dame of Thrones (5) for W Magazine features Kristen McMenamy as a medieval androgynous warrior. In Step Ahead (6) Marie Schmidt enacts the strength and femininity of empowered women for Ben Trovato. In the Balenciaga Spring 2012 campaign (7) the women looked like they had just fought a battle, with their hair messed up, staged in a messy interior.

Plus, young designers like the talented So Takayama are establishing cool female silhouettes. He studied at the Antwerp Fashion Academy in 2012. His graduation collection was about a car accident and it comprises stalwart female silhouettes. “Women are attractive, intriguing, charming but not understandable. Clothing has a clear function for them. It makes them different, beautiful, and stronger.” Raw Culture

name: So Takayama age: 26 from: Japan currently living in: Belgium website: sotakayama.carbonmade.com

INFLUENCER THEORY

name: Catarina Aimee Dahms aka Cata.Pirata location: Amsterdam occupation: Artist, musician info: www.skipndie.com www.catapirata.withtank.com

Influencers

Cata.Pirata Cata.Pirata has been compared to an array of strong female artists, one example being M.I.A., and she embraces these comparisons. However, one day she will be the one too whom others are compared. Cata.Pirata has already lived in a dozen countries - from South Africa and the UK to Argentina and the Netherlands - and this experience has shaped her art. She assembles different fragments from diverse cultural traditions and influences and rearranges them into a nomadic mix. Cata.pirata is the songwriter and vocalist of the afrofuturistic tropical bass band SKIP&DIE. Her works are transmedia mash-ups of video/photography, illustration/installation, writing, music and performance. She describes her music as ‘a mescaline trip in the urban jungle of the future and her visuals as a kaleidoscopic collage in the tropics’. Influence “Everyone is an influencer in their own way. I’ve chosen to use my creativity as a way to express myself and my views of the world. Anyone who can relate to these ideas may, in turn, feel inspired to do something that influences or inspires others. And so the world keeps on spinning round and round.” When we asked her who she looks up to, we get a hodgepodge of all sorts of artists, such as DJ Spooky Björk, Manu Chao and Salt-N-Pepa. Future Rolling stones gather no moss, so Cata.Pirata will keep following her inspiration, no matter where it takes her. She looks at the future through multifocal binoculars, always adjusting the focus to the flux.

“Words that describe me? Pineapple. Passion fruit. Island. Purple. Dagger. Nomad. Permeable.” 145

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There is no such thing as a typical youngster. And yet the young generation is constantly being labelled. Trophy Kids, Generation G, iGeneration, Gen Why -- all are names that highlight a partial aspect of the group. Trendwolves consciously opted not to do that. Youngsters cannot be viewed as an age group with a specific culture. They cannot be identified by a specific image, style of music or subculture. Nevertheless, in order to portray the generation in a well-organized and systematic manner, we base our trend and Zeitgeist research on 10 elements. These parameters help to classify, describe and understand (the behaviour of) youngsters without generalizing the differences between them. Elements

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Hunted by Ruben Loodts Consultant European Youth Affairs

212

More than just a music venue: Garajistanbul Garajistanbul is not only a bold and innovative space dedicated to talented artists but it is also an international non-profit organization and a contemporary performing arts center. Its manifesto is based on change and embracing the new. The venue, which was converted from a parking lot to a space that can be redesigned with each performance, is a testament to this. The center presents approximately 50 pieces a year, from numerous artistic disciplines including theater, music, and literature. Garajistanbul has two production units, called garajistanbulpro and 10+, which tour Turkey and Europe to showcase their productions, and it publishes a magazine called gist.

Where food meets fashion Date Restaurant & Designersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Corner is a new multi-functional venue in Istanbul offering entertainment around cuisine and fashion. On the first floor, Date Restaurant & Designersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Corner serves as a bar and restaurant. On the second floor, the Date Restaurant & Designersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Corner hosts events around fashion and design.

Date

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E F I L T H G I N ECSTASY AND DECADENCE THEY CAN TAKE OUR LIVES BUT THEY CAN NEVER TAKE OUR FREEDOM

This is an expression of fearlessness by those who have nothing to lose. And it magically triggers bizarre creations and new combinations of old elements: in sound, movement, lyrics and so on. Zero-euro parties focused on freestyle expression, started by good faith and initiative, show that this youth culture doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to bow before big companies and brands to make something happen. Young people give it their all, let loose and give in to decadence and chaos.

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PARTY FLIGHTS Some young people are no longer satisfied with the ordinary. They want to extend their boundaries and are doing so in a very literal sense. They fly out on Saturday afternoon, party all night and all day and then take a direct flight back home. In Berlin these young partygoers are known as Easyjetsetters. Thanks to the low fare company, Easyjet, tickets for a weekend’s partying in Berlin are very cheap to come by. Another popular destination for party flights is Barcelona. There are those who even take it a step further. One example is the – world-famous – Belgian festival, Tomorrowland, for which VIP tickets included an early start to the festival with a party on the plane. DJs supplied the music and drinks were readily available: no need to wait for the party.

Nightlife

POP-UP CLUBBING Youngsters want to experience as many new things as possible. They want their experience to be different from the same old boring club they’ve already been to a hundred times before. They’re looking for special, once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Pop-up clubs live up to these expectations. You won’t find out about these one-nightonly or secret events on any flyer: word only gets out once it’s done and dusted. Rave culture hasn’t disappeared: it’s just taken on different forms. These last-minute parties can be held anywhere: in places ranging from empty warehouses to schools. And they don’t get announced beforehand. A message is texted or tweeted a couple of hours before the party starts. The real party animals know who to follow and the news automatically spreads like wildfire.

CHERYL CHERYL is a four-member, semi-anonymous, often cat-masked artist collective based in Brooklyn, New York, known for its video art, museum installations, performances and dance parties. CHERYL explores the themes of mortality, mania, the feline-human connection, the limits of shoulders, the flammability of dollar-store hair extensions, and the staining power of fake blood. Through themes ranging from topical to bizarre, the CHERYLs revel in the joyous power of dance-induced psychosis/euphoria. CHERYL has been bringing its particular brand of FRESHMAGICK™ to New York City since colonial times, and ever since it acquired a dedicated cult following and media attention for over-the-top happenings involving outrageous costumes, exuberant dance moves, and participatory dance floor suicide.

Cheryl

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ZEITGEIST

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Computer & internet use

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Zeitgeist

Around 80 % of young people aged between 16 and 24 use computers and the Internet daily in EU. Denmark, Germany, Estonia, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Finland and Sweden report the highest (percentage) levels of computer and Internet use, while Bulgaria, Ireland, Greece and Romania record much lower levels. In the latter country, under half of those surveyed have daily access to ICT.

FACT 7

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Daily computer use