Twisted truth is out there and other trends

Wish you had a crystal ball to see into the future? According to advertising agency Young & Rubicam, these are the nine global trends to watch in 1999:

1. Teach me to compete. Alternative, home and private schooling is taking off. Likely developments include community enrichment programmes, international classrooms, global testing, infant IQ tests, niche software, brain-booster boot-camps and homeschooling academies.

2. Unique recipes. Products are becoming increasingly personalised. Likely developments include mood fabrics, DIY ice-cream par-lours, customised goody boxes for frequent flyers, personalised art-work, custom paint jobs for cars, and finish-it-off-yourself prepared foods.

3. Moral superiors. More of us are laying claim to the moral high ground. Likely developments include sexual conservatism, pre-millennial violence, a religious revival in retail, and Internet witch hunts.

4. The twisted truth is out there. Concern about the security and integrity of digital communications is growing. Likely developments include increasing reliance on "old media" such as books and newspapers, increasing use of video surveillance, sophisticated scams, and the widespread availability of fake IDs.

5. Global bucks. Money is becoming increasingly global. Likely developments include customised ATM services, advertising on ATMs, the long-awaited smartcard boom, more sophisticated passwords, and the growth of global on-line shopping.

6. The lustre of old. The patina of times past is becoming increasingly attractive. Likely developments include nostalgic nosh, the return of the roadster, and the resurgence of eveningwear, costume balls and secret societies.

7. Me, Myself And I Incorporated. Personal responsibility is on the rise as more of us lose faith in our employers and governments to look after us. Likely developments include increased entrepreneurialism, new personal investment vehicles and insurance products, a barter boom, homes-as-offices, group insurance, and housing developments aimed at the self-employed.

8. Bigger does not mean better. In the business world, it is the Davids rather than the Goliaths who are starting to attract attention. Likely developments include downsizing of conglomerates and localising of big business.

9. Drug-induced solutions. Whatever the question, pills are increasingly becoming the answer for many people. Likely developments include personalised pills, in-office healers, brain boosters for babies, and spirituality pills.