Hey Chris! Love this also because I'm ruminating on a kind of opposite effect. I mean, what happened after a hype? Does the object of the hype lost its popularity or I just do not "see" it anymore or the algorithms stopped to push it in my feeds?
That is a great reflection on two fronts. The effect of the algorithm as maybe we ARE indeed now encountering it more as the algorithm pushes more on that topic!
Plus "after hype": Last week I was talking to a colleague about the long-term effects of covid hiring and how businesses are adapting now. I feel like this might be a lesser discussed topic as there was a collective overwhelm with "covid/post-covid" etc.
Certainly, some brands can go from being "the next big thing" to just commonplace (Like my example of New Balance in the main image is an example where I remember this brand just emerged out of nowhere to me. Now, I see it all the time and so don't usually notice it. It's entirely possible that it's as (or even more) common now as when I first noticed it, but it's not novel to me now.
Agree with the post-covid example. I may add another one that probably it's just me: the Design Thinking case. It was everywhere, you couldn't even think to start a project without considering it. What happened to it today? It just slipped out of my sight or it is still discussed, used, adopted in a more quiet way, without all the hype?
I notice this often when I learn a new word or phrase in German. I suddenly start hearing or reading it everywhere! I also do make a conscious effort myself to use new words so that they stick. Gotta love a bit of spaced repetition!
Another explanation is that it is a function of the reticular activating system. This is particularly the case when we are exploring alternatives for an upcoming decision. We read about a car that doesn't have a large market share. The image prompts us to notice it on the road. At that time, recency bias and confirmation bias kick in.
Thanks, Hal, forgive my ignorance but isn't that the brain function that is described by "selective attention"? So the RAS would be the brain network that does the filtering of information and selective attention would be the perceived outcome in the person? Either way, thank you for the additional insights, example and feedback! I'm always happy to learn more and be corrected.
Hey Chris, "reticular activation" means we see something that we haven't been seeing. Activation of that system occurs when we have a concern, not a worry, that for the time being is present for us. We have many common, usually present concerns. Some are family, health, career, spirituality, learning, etc. These concerns are generally present for us. We see things that help us take care of those concerns. Other times, we have a new concern, like replacing a car. As we explore options, one or more classes of options become interesting, or we narrow in on options, for instance, minivans of small SUVs. That is the activating moment. I remember my wife looking to replace her Subaru Outback. She saw a Mazda "zoom zoom" commercial, and she said, "I'd look good driving a CX50." For days after, she reported seeing CX50s everywhere. RAS is a powerful system for noticing. When we understand it, we can help ourselves take better care of our concerns.
Hey Chris! Love this also because I'm ruminating on a kind of opposite effect. I mean, what happened after a hype? Does the object of the hype lost its popularity or I just do not "see" it anymore or the algorithms stopped to push it in my feeds?
That is a great reflection on two fronts. The effect of the algorithm as maybe we ARE indeed now encountering it more as the algorithm pushes more on that topic!
Plus "after hype": Last week I was talking to a colleague about the long-term effects of covid hiring and how businesses are adapting now. I feel like this might be a lesser discussed topic as there was a collective overwhelm with "covid/post-covid" etc.
Certainly, some brands can go from being "the next big thing" to just commonplace (Like my example of New Balance in the main image is an example where I remember this brand just emerged out of nowhere to me. Now, I see it all the time and so don't usually notice it. It's entirely possible that it's as (or even more) common now as when I first noticed it, but it's not novel to me now.
Agree with the post-covid example. I may add another one that probably it's just me: the Design Thinking case. It was everywhere, you couldn't even think to start a project without considering it. What happened to it today? It just slipped out of my sight or it is still discussed, used, adopted in a more quiet way, without all the hype?
I notice this often when I learn a new word or phrase in German. I suddenly start hearing or reading it everywhere! I also do make a conscious effort myself to use new words so that they stick. Gotta love a bit of spaced repetition!
I can relate to this very much, especially living in Poland. The number of times I've learned a word, and then I hear that everyone is saying it!
Another explanation is that it is a function of the reticular activating system. This is particularly the case when we are exploring alternatives for an upcoming decision. We read about a car that doesn't have a large market share. The image prompts us to notice it on the road. At that time, recency bias and confirmation bias kick in.
Thanks, Hal, forgive my ignorance but isn't that the brain function that is described by "selective attention"? So the RAS would be the brain network that does the filtering of information and selective attention would be the perceived outcome in the person? Either way, thank you for the additional insights, example and feedback! I'm always happy to learn more and be corrected.
Hey Chris, "reticular activation" means we see something that we haven't been seeing. Activation of that system occurs when we have a concern, not a worry, that for the time being is present for us. We have many common, usually present concerns. Some are family, health, career, spirituality, learning, etc. These concerns are generally present for us. We see things that help us take care of those concerns. Other times, we have a new concern, like replacing a car. As we explore options, one or more classes of options become interesting, or we narrow in on options, for instance, minivans of small SUVs. That is the activating moment. I remember my wife looking to replace her Subaru Outback. She saw a Mazda "zoom zoom" commercial, and she said, "I'd look good driving a CX50." For days after, she reported seeing CX50s everywhere. RAS is a powerful system for noticing. When we understand it, we can help ourselves take better care of our concerns.