From ad fatigue to fast fandom, the Predictionary is back to forecast 2024’s biggest themes before they go viral

We may not know what 2024 will hold, but there’s nothing wrong with a little speculation.



If you want to take part, just take a look through Predictionary, as it’s aptly named. The brainchild of the creatives at Day One Agency, it’s comprised of words that are “part prediction, part dictionary,” and generates terms that are expected to resonate in the new year, based on themes and trends occurring everywhere from the local news to social media feeds.



This marks the fourth year that Day One has compiled the list. The agency gave Fast Company an exclusive first look at its 2024 edition, and it manages to capture concerns and feelings felt by just about everyone. And what’s more, it’s a fun read (those brainstorming meetings honestly seem like they’d be a hoot to attend)!



Here, a few key terms:



Data Dissonance: The disconnect between the data used to tell stories about culture and culture itself Ad Nauseam: The disorientation and annoyance caused by the overcommercialization of the feed Zombie IP: A franchise or talent that lives long past its expiration date Double Clique: An IYKYK, tight-knit community marked by intentionality, friction, and exclusivity Ephem-era: A fleeting trend that reaches critical mass but doesn’t equate to true “fandom,” substantive community, or meaningful value Open-Source Entertainment (OSENT): A new era of UGC, in which fan-created spinoffs are generated at a faster pace and greater volume than artistic and brand creative



By the sounds of it, we’re all pretty much either worried about living in a fabricated world, or looking to escape to one. The first two words in the dictionary capture this pretty perfectly, especially “ad nauseam”: Who hasn’t been angry to see the cute cat and dog videos on their Instagram or TikTok feeds disrupted with whatever weird gadget your friend probably mentioned at dinner the night before?



From there, the next two words in the Predictionary venture into what Day One describes as “mid” culture, which is the fairly common expression used to describe things that are just a little south of extraordinary. (So, you know, nearly all experiences.) With the constant influx of newly minted influencers, “zombie IP” feels particularly pertinent. We’re thinking of brands, franchises, or talent (read: influencers) that have gently outstayed their welcome.



Finally, the last two words branch into the world of fandom. As we all know, especially with social media, those worlds can range from far-reaching to absolutely niche in a way that far supersedes the old “cult classic” adage. “Ephem-era” is the word chosen to capture the fandoms that don’t quite hit critical mass but maintain an air of importance among the truest few.



Overall, we’d say the Predictionary does a pretty great job of depicting the cultural phenomena bouncing around social feeds at any given moment. But, perhaps also worth noting: The 2023 Predictionary’s words didn’t exactly go viral last year—I mean, how many of us ended up using the terms “fratigue” or “trendflation”?



As for this year, well . . . time will tell!