by Abraham Espinosa, SVP Executive Strategy Director

The past five years changed everything. And in the process, our relationship with time evolved.

The clock has an identity crisis. Thursdays feel like Fridays. Slow mornings are punctual. Circadian rhythms compete with notifications. Nostalgia visits earlier. The future arrived without warning. Time is a constant that feels variable today. Nearly two-thirds of people report losing their sense of time, almost half have memory gaps, and over 80% feel life has accelerated since 2020. This “time blindness” phenomenon has neurological roots, as our brains suppress or fragment memories during periods of extreme stress, trauma, and massive change. While we were focused on surviving, adapting, healing, or making sense of the new world we were in, life quietly transformed.

Generations transitioned to the next stage of their lives.

All of a sudden what we knew about generations changed. All age groups are facing updated challenges and motivations:

• Gen Beta (beginning 2025): A new generation is here; they will be the first with minority status compared to the 65+ population.
• Gen Alpha (0-12): Experiencing “accelerated childhood” and integrating AI from early ages.
• Gen Z (13-28): Entering adulthood while delaying independence due to economic pressures.
• Millennials (29-44): Fully in adulthood and rethinking linear life journeys.
• Gen X (45-60): The “sandwich generation” juggling caregiving for both parents and children.
• Boomers (61-79): Redefining retirement and aging- they consider themselves “cooler” than their own grandparents.
• Seniors (80-95): “Refreshing the silver age” through longevity science and digital legacies.

Key Shifts in Our Experience of Time

• Age No Longer Determines Activities: Generational boundaries are dissolving as kids age up and adults age down. Sixty-year-olds join dating apps while twenty-somethings plan mini-retirements.
• Daily Schedule Reorganization: Rigid structures have given way to personalized, flexible schedules that would have been unimaginable five years ago.
• The Era of Shortcuts: In our impatient economy, 55% prefer quick solutions over traditional methods. Search engines increasingly provide direct answers rather than results, with nearly 60% of Google searches ending without clicks.
• Time Warp Aesthetics: A surreal visual language has emerged that combines ancient motifs with futuristic elements, reflecting our collective disorientation.

What should we do with all this present?

We’ve entered an era of “present continuous”—where past, present, and future blur together. Traditional life stages dissolve, schedules become personalized flows, and our visual cultures mix timelines. This isn’t merely disorienting—it offers unprecedented freedom to define our lives beyond chronological constraints.

Implications for Brands

1. Refresh generational insights: Recognize everyone is at a new life stage.

2. Champion untraditional life paths: Celebrate audiences’ chosen journeys regardless of traditional milestones.

3. Identify schedule opportunities: Connect with unconventional moments in today’s flexible routines.

4. Celebrate ageless adventure: Target emotions, not age demographics.

5. Create shortcuts: Help consumers hack time to make life easier.

6. Explore time-collapsed aesthetics: Combine heritage with innovation in visual storytelling.

7. Provide anchoring experiences: Offer moments of temporal clarity in an increasingly blurred world.

Methodology: The Trend Compendium is a collaborative effort from Golin’s global strategy teams across North America, Europe, and Asia, synthesizing insights from over 250 trend reports and 3,000 emerging trends to identify the forces shaping communications in 2025.