Hype vs. Momentum: Decoding Cultural Patterns w/ Matt Klein of Zine & Reddit | S01 E02 Up Next in Tech with Ariba Jahan

How do you know when something is a trend or just hype? What trends should we even pay attention to right now? In this episode I sit down with Webby Award-winning writer Matt Klein, a digital anthropologist and quantitative futurist with a decade of experience in trend forecasting, communications and marketing to dig into these questions. We also go into how he recognized a gap in rigorous cultural analysis and began authoring articles on cultural observations, eventually writing for Forbes and starting his own newsletter. In our conversation we cover:



(01:58) Matt's unconventional background spanning psychology, film, media, and advertising

(23:11) Meta trends analysis and identifying commonalities

(29:32) Concern about decline of public spaces and rise of loneliness

(32:00) Perspective on virtual worlds and the metaverse

(38:10) Information overload and determining what's real online

(45:12) Evaluating trends based on adoption momentum rather than hype

(42:47) We need more porn: patience, openness, receptiveness, and nuance



Throughout the discussion, Matt emphasized the need for trend analysts to incorporate diverse perspectives and data sources, highlighting the responsibility forecasters have in shaping potential desired futures. He leaves us a strong reminder that the future of culture is us, you and me, the everyday people, not some authority figures.



Matt Klein Bio: 

As a digital anthropologist and quantitative futurist with a decade of experience in trend forecasting, communications and marketing, Klein advises brands, the United Nations, investors, startups, journalists and non-profits on emerging social shifts and authors strategies for preferred futures.



A Webby Award-winning writer for his publication, ZINE, Klein’s insights have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, VICE and Forbes, where he served as a media critic covering the psychosocial implications of life online. Klein is also a speaker at SXSW, agencies, and universities including Yale and NYU, advancing cultural analysis with data and AI.



For the full show notes with transcript and resources, visit https://www.aribajahan.com/upnextintech/matt-klein-decoding-culture



🔗 CONNECT WITH MATT KLEIN

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kleinkleinklein/

ZINE Newsletter: https://zine.kleinkleinklein.com/

Site: https://kleinkleinklein.com/



🔗 CONNECT WITH ARIBA JAHAN

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/aribajahan

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aribajahan/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC61NDFgqsM02-wtE1PrZOsw

 

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CREDITS:

Podcast art by Emma Johnston.

Podcast edited by The Sunshine Collective.

Site by RR Digital Media.