20 Biggest Trends That Have Defined 2020 (3 of 4)

Cutting Down On Single-Use Plastics

One disturbing fact that has come out this year is that by 2050, the ocean is expected to have more plastic than fish. When looking at how that’s even possible, the clearest answer are the massive quantities of single-use plastics that we have.

Not only that, but single-use plastics are big contributors to our climate crisis while also polluting the streets and seas and leaving a hefty carbon footprint.

Fortunately, not everything is all doom and gloom. There are many companies – big and small – that are now putting more effort in finding creative solutions to cutting back on the various plastics they use in their business. Things like disposable plastic bags, bottles, straws, and packaging.

Now there have been efforts in the past, but this year marks these as massive changes.

For example, hotel brands like Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt have vowed to swap complimentary travel-sized toiletries to bulk-sized dispensers.

In other efforts, new companies like Blueland are offering dissolvable tablets that produce cleaning supplies that you can place in reusable acrylic bottles. There’s also Plaine Products that packages hair, body, and face care products in refillable aluminum containers. Stasher also is on a mission to remove plastic bags entirely and replace them with reusable silicone snacks and sandwich bags.

The end goal is simple: make plastic more reusable and clean the planet.

More Inclusive Kids’ Toys

One thing that we’ve learned by this point is for people to be more open to the world and different ethnicities, it’s important to expose them to that at an early age. For a long time, toy stores haven’t been doing this. That much is clear with so many of the dolls being pink-skinned and dressed and all the trucks you ever see for boys are blue. These kinds of traditions don’t need to be eliminated entirely, but rather changed to reflect a more diverse and inclusive world.

With that in mind, toy makers need to be creating products that move away from the gender stereotypes and even cater to children who have disabilities. Thankfully, toy stores and makers have been getting behind this in a big way.

In mid-2019, there were two new Barbies featured with disabilities. Mattel also released a line of gender-neutral dolls. The beauty of these dolls is that they are completely customizable, allowing kids to rotate between hairstyles, outfits, and accessories that are free of outdated “boy” and “girl” labels.

On top of that, toy companies have also been embracing products designed for those with visual impairments. Mattel has released Uno cards that are in Braille. Lego also will be updating their collection of bricks to help children learn Braille as well.

Drinkable CBD

As cannabis has become more and more accepted, there have been all kinds of products emerging with CBD in it. Tinctures, lotions, oils, chocolates, and gummies.

One more to add to the list now are beverages.

Like many of the other products, these new beverages hold a host of therapeutic benefits in every sip. Best of all, they don’t appear in just any drinks. Brands like Daytrip, Dram Apothecary, and Recess provide sparkling water that’s infused with CBD. You’ve also got Endo and CBD Living covering bottled CBD water too if that’s not your thing.

And for those looking to lean into cold brews and get some caffeination, look at Good Day and Mary Joe who have CBD-infused cold brews.

Less Screen Time

One of the growing problems that has been on the rise in the digital age is screen time (ironic, we know).

While technology is helpful, we’re already starting to see the impact of too much screen time: less meaningful relationships and more. Thankfully, many people are getting creative with their methods for reducing screen time.

If you’re the type of person whose job is to be in front of a screen all the time, there are blue-light glasses that have risen in popularity, promising to deal with digital eye strain by filtering those harmful lights emitted from the screen.

In other circumstances, other millennials are indulging in digital detox retreats. These tech-free getaways are designed to venture to off-grid locales that don’t have WiFi and stay at places where you’re forced to give up your smartphone.

The other big solution people have come up with is the extreme case of dopamine fasting. It’s the idea of avoiding stimulating your dopamine production for a period of time. In practice this means, move away from social media, too much human interaction, reading, gaming, certain foods and more. It’s an interesting way to live for sure, but that is definitely taking it to the extreme.

Getting Therapy Help

When you are looking for outfit inspirations or makeup tips, you turn to social media influencers. However, what if you need much deeper help than that? Well, have no fear, as this year there has been a rise of what’s called therapy influencers. The idea with these influencers is they’re all on a mission to bring mental health awareness to the forefront of our minds. These are licensed professionals and they frequent platforms like Instagram and Twitter and share resources, factoids, and insights in easy-to-digest formats that spark conversations and even reflection.

Some of the prominent ones are:

• Lisa Olivera who provides therapy for marriage and family life.
• Dr. Jessica Celmons who hosts a weekly live stream to help answer various questions on psychology.
• Whitney Goodman who helps those struggling with addiction or other chronic illnesses.

This is a small part of the much larger community, as there is a growing amount of app-based therapy options these days to help those struggling with mental health amongst other things.