An unsettling story is being played out in the field of tech. It touches the boundaries of privacy and personal freedom—a bonsai version of China’s plan by 2021 to assign a grade to all 1.3 billion citizens on their “social behavior.” More and more, tech AI companies are selling recruitment technology to both large employers and individuals (to choose a babysitter for example) that assess…
Slow growth does not necessarily equate with low or lower wellbeing. Scandinavia is a case in point. It’s a slow-growing region with a GDP forecast for this year hovering around 2 percent (from a high of 2.5 percent in Sweden to a low of 1.1 percent in Norway). Yet northern Europe is a poster child in terms of wellbeing, and it offers what is probably…
A new study from Ball State University, testing the cardiovascular health and muscles of people in their 70s that exercised steadily for decades, found that the muscles of these men and women were indistinguishable in many ways from those of healthy 25-year-olds, with as many capillaries and enzymes. And these active septuagenarians essentially had the cardiovascular health of people 30 years younger. The researchers summarized…
The digital divide is going into reverse. Until recently, it was all about access to technology; but now, it’s about limiting access to technology. Among those who know most about tech, the worry about the impact that digital devices have on their children is such that they are moving toward a complete or partial ban. In Silicon Valley, elite schools now eschew most digital devices…
5 Trends in Wellness Tourism Wellness, hospitality, and travel businesses are converging. Since wellness tourism burst into mainstream consumer consciousness a few years ago, the industry has evolved rapidly. Businesses and governments are investing in developing new strategies, products, experiences, and destinations. Wellness, hospitality, and travel are converging in diverse and unprecedented ways, as businesses experiment with new partnerships and business models to offer expanded…
MONTHLY BAROMETER It is often said that technology destroys jobs but not work. True indeed. But many new jobs are being created beyond tech. “Pet wellness”—a fast-growing business—is one such example. Although why some of us (in increasing numbers) treat our animals as if they were humans is not easy to explain, the investment case of anthropomorphism is incontrovertible. This year, pet spending in the…
