GrammarPhile Blog

25 Writing Topics that Weren’t Popular a Decade Ago

Posted by Kelly Creighton   Jun 14, 2018 7:30:00 AM

smart homeIt’s hard to believe that the dawn of a new century was almost two decades ago. And since then, we’ve experienced life with smartphones and smart devices, as well as apps and platforms that have changed the way we work and live.  

What we write about has changed too, along with the new experiences that technological advances have brought us. Here’s a list of twenty-five topics (in alphabetical order) that weren’t popular to write about a decade ago, even though now it seems as if we receive content and information about them daily.

1. Apps & App Development

Smartphone applications are now at the center of a majority of what we do every day. We use them for GPS navigation, to access our email, to read books and articles, to message our friends and family members, to play games, etc. And there is a lot of information being written about how to design and develop apps, how to use and download apps, and how to market and sell them.

2. Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence isn’t just for lifelike robots these days. It’s also used for translating languages, speech recognition, chatbots, gaming, and so many other things that are integral to what we do every single day. And writing about artificial intelligence is no longer just science fiction.

3. Automation

In the past decade we’ve automated so many things and have invented things like automated communications and emails, automated billing and payments, driverless cars, automated software updates, and so on. In a world where people are always on the go, automation has become key and people love receiving information about it.

4. Businesses in the Sharing Economy

The sharing economy is something that wasn’t around on a large scale a decade ago, if at all, so it wasn’t written about a lot. But now we enjoy learning about businesses and apps like Airbnb and Uber that allow people to share car rides and their homes.

5. Cloud Services

It’s hard to believe that Google Drive hasn’t even been around for a decade yet. But now businesses and individuals rely on cloud services in one way or another and want information about them. We use cloud services every day to do things like store our files, access apps and accounts, pay our bills, communicate, etc.

6. Content Marketing and Content Creation

A decade ago we were just beginning to understand how to optimize digital content for search engines. Now, we read and write a lot about content marketing and content creation. Digital marketing has become a lot more complicated and pervasive than simply putting up digital banner ads and hoping for the best. We’re now reading more about how to gather data and information about our audiences so that we can create content that reaches them at the most opportune and lucrative times. 

7. Crowdsourcing

In this decade, people love reading and writing about good causes, especially now that it’s easier than ever to get people to donate money to a Kickstarter or GoFundMe campaign, or even through regular social media avenues. Whether you’re building a new app or platform and need financial support, or you’re trying to collect money or raise awareness for a good cause, you can do so via crowdsourcing.        

8. Cryptocurrency

Bitcoin and other types of cryptocurrency are being written about and debated about regularly. Businesses and individuals want to know what it is, how to use it, when to use it, if they should use it, and so on.  

9. Data Science

Data is now worth more than oil, per research parsed in The Economist. So now we’re writing and reading a lot about what to do with it, how to collect it, sell it, understand it, and more.

10. Drones

Since they’ve become less expensive and have reached the mass market, consumers and businesses alike want to read more about how they can use drones to gather data and for recreation.

11. E-Commerce

More and more businesses want to read about how they can sell more of their products online. And many easy-to-use e-commerce platforms that people want to learn more about have surfaced over the past decade too.

12. E-Learning and Mobile Learning

Over the past decade we’ve seen a lot more content online about free or low-cost online courses and other remote and mobile learning opportunities that are now being offered by reputable universities and organizations.  

13. Emotional Intelligence

Less than a decade ago, experts started writing about and unpacking research and information about emotional intelligence on a grander scale, and how it helps us in the workplace, in school, and in our everyday lives.

14. Fake News

After the 2016 election, a lot of opinion pieces have been written about fake news and mass media’s influence, and there’s been a lot of research into the subject.

15. Gaming

Gaming now involves artificial intelligence and virtual reality and has a lot of applications that people are reading and writing about. It’s come a long way over the past decade, far surpassing the capabilities of the two-dimensional games and experiences of the 1990s and early 2000s.

16. Influencer Marketing

With the growing popularity of social media outlets, online influencers have emerged. And over the past five years or so, we’ve seen a lot of content written about how to become an influencer online and why brands and organizations need influencers for their marketing campaigns and initiatives.

17. Internet of Things (IoT)

Inanimate objects are now accessing the Internet to complete both mundane and difficult tasks. We have smart household appliances and smart printers and machines, etc. And there’s a lot of information being written about such objects.

18. Legalized Marijuana

Even though California became the first state to legalize medical marijuana in 1996, it wasn’t until 2012 that states started legalizing it for recreational purposes. And since then, we’ve seen a lot more information and research being shared online about how to purchase it and consume it, among other things.

19. Online Reputation Management

More content than ever is being written about how to manage our online reputations across social media outlets and across websites, etc. Several businesses and consulting firms are popping up too, to help us navigate our online reputations.

20. Productivity and Work-Life Balance

Over the past decade, it seems like everyone is writing about productivity “hacks” and how we can do this or that to maintain a better work-life balance. It has now become the norm to write about ways to be more productive at work while also engaging in activities like yoga and meditation exercises, learning how to maximize time with family, and sleeping more.

21. Self-Publishing

After social media and businesses with far-reaching platforms (think Amazon) grew and became more lucrative, it became much easier to promote self-published works as well as publish them. So now there’s a lot more content being written about how and why you should or shouldn’t self-publish your work.

22. Social Media and Management

Now that social media has become so popular, more is being written (and read) about how to use and manage the various platforms out there.

23. Startups

Everyone wants to know what the next organization like Uber or Airbnb will be. Over the past decade, we’ve seen a lot of content being written and consumed about how to create a startup, how to get funding for a startup, etc.

24. Sustainability Management

As we begin to consume more in our ever-increasing and globalized world, businesses and individuals are writing and sharing more information about sustainable practices for resources, society, and more.

25. Virtual and Augmented Reality

Now that virtual reality and augmented reality experiences and devices are becoming less expensive, more individuals and businesses are writing about how to capitalize on them and enjoy them.

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Is there a newer topic that you have read or written about that’s not included above? Share with us in the comments below. And if you found this post interesting, please don’t forget to share it with others.

 

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Topics: writing topics

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