Good morning Marketer, and how is time passing for you?
One of the intriguing consumer trends uncovered by Gartner in a new survey is a distorted perception of time (at a remarkable rate of 91% among Gen Z) which, among other things, hinders long-term planning.
Anyone else feeling that? My own experience is that days, unless packed with deadlines, seem much longer than they once did. I also spent last year blanking 2020, by which I mean I frequently referred to meeting people, or being at a conference, “last year.” But no, it was the year before last, 2019.
I’ve just been reading about some academic research on this topic and it tends to confirm what Gartner found. Weeks and months seem to pass slowly, with hours and minutes being less affected. There’s a plausible explanation for some of this. Our sense of time is structured around memorable events, so without vacations, weddings, graduations and so on, our sense of time is set adrift. If you’re interested, read more here.
Kim Davis
Editorial Director
