Cost of living worry has overtaken climate change as the major concern for Australians, according to culture guide Broadsheet's A Tale of Two Cities report.
The report's insights are derived from the a survey of 6,420 readers in inner urban neighbourhoods, supplemented with research, trends and reports from SOON Future Studies.
In 2022, cost of living (30%) and climate change (29%) ranked about equal. In 2023, cost of living concerns surged to 40% and climate change dropped by more than half to 13%.
Despite giant leaps in daily life evolving around screens and streams, communities now recognise the importance of screen-free time.
Three-quarters of Broadsheet readers consider screen-free time as either essential or very important. This coincides with happiness falling across all age groups.
The trend has flipped from 12 years ago, where people aged 15 to 24 were measured as happier than older generations. The correlation with the uptick in screen time is striking.
For the Broadsheet audience, younger readers feel like they face more obstacles to making friends than the older cohort, and are lonelier than ever before.
Only 24% of younger readers feel they face no obstacles when making friends, compared to a much larger 70% of boomers.
Lastly, population ageing is an irreversible global trend, and birth rates are falling dramatically. One in five Broadsheet Millennial readers has no desire to have children, which is higher than the global average.
Broadsheet studio and strategy director Roya Lines said cities are on a path of significant change ad the world navigates a permacrisis (permanent-crisis), thanks to an aging population, declining birth rates, cost of living crisis and climate change.
"People are craving (and in some cases needing) connection, experiences and community with a touch of nostalgia and fun," Lines said.
"By 2034 the number of people over 65 will outnumber children under 18 for the first time, and those under 18 right now are lonelier than ever before.
"Our report this year highlights how people from all corners of the world are innovating to change the path we are on and brands that can embrace age, foster community and facilitate connection will be the ones to win."
SOON Future Studies strategic futures director Tully Walter said despite the complexities, deciphering these unstoppable forces provides insights and strategic foresight to adapt and innovate in an uncertain world.
"In analysing the global megatrends with the Broadsheet audience's emerging attitudes we aim to uncover the opportunities and white spaces to connect with future brands, communities and consumers of the future," Walter said.
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