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81% of Gen Z believe they can write self-help books - Yoursun.com

Winterberry Group

-Generative AI and machine learning are rapidly changing how brands bring content, particularly video content, to a variety of platforms and audiences -- upending traditional creative, strategy and media silos, and offering new efficiencies amid risks-

Global Video and Digital Content Production Spend, 2020 - 2024 Estimated

AI Use Cases for Creative Production and Content Creation

NEW YORK, Feb. 07, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New research released today from Winterberry Group, a strategic advisory consultancy, documents the far-reaching effects that artificial intelligence specifically generative AI and machine learning are having on creative ideation and production, as well as moving the considerations for audience and channel selection earlier into the process, as global spending on video and digital content production is projected to top $121 billion globally this year 47 percent of it accountable to the United States.

As brands seek to reduce not just cost but also productivity from partners creating content, the approach to managing and measuring the value of content, taking a sustainable path to creation, on-the-fly versioning and video and content creative optimization, are some of the ramifications of these investments. Through the course of the interviews, it has become increasingly clear that the people and process requires an aligned integration of creative, strategy and media teams according to Winterberry Group -- in the new study The New Creative Paradigm: How AI is Transforming Video and Content Production (February 2024).

The research is sponsored by APR [Advertising Production Resources], a Denver, CO-based creative production consultancy.

As consumers have dramatically changed how they consume media, brands and agencies have altered their media spend amongst linear and across digital channels to stay connected to them, said Bruce Biegel, senior managing partner, Winterberry Group. During the past 10 years, consumers have flipped the time spent per day on digital versus traditional media today they spend eight hours a day with digital.

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Source: Winterberry Group, The New Creative Paradigm How AI Is Transforming Video and Content Production, February 2024.

Thats 60 percent more than they spend with traditional media, he said. And theyre consuming video media in a variety of lengths and formats, with a mix of long-form, short-form and branded content. Brands are having to re-think how they bring digital content to consumers and how they produce it. Generative AI and machine learning, collectively AI are now transforming how we plan, develop, measure and value content created.

For close to a decade, according to the report, machine learning has been relied upon by marketers to drive targeting, attribution and measurement the algorithm. Now it is being teamed with generative AI the next innovation frontier to assist brands and agencies with research distillation, concept ideation, content production, versioning and testing.

The struggle to address surging demand for scaled, contextually relevant content is not new, said Jamie Posnanski, former global head of content for Accenture Song. But this research highlights why many of us who have been helping brands solve for these challenges are truly excited. The rapid evolution of AI in this space is presenting new, transformational opportunities to accelerate content creation and dramatically improve consumptionwhile overcoming legacy processes and fragmented technology stacks to unify media, data and content in ways that were never before possible.

Such application is also adding complexity with over 80 percent of marketers working with two or more production partners, and nearly 13 percent working with six or more today. Even though more than six in ten marketers are currently leveraging generative AI to support creative development and more than nine in ten are leveraging or planning to leverage creative intelligence from AI to support content development and optimization, the market is still in its early stage of evolution.

Our research, based on a survey of 250 decision-makers at brands across the United States and United Kingdom, as well as in-depth interviews with dozens of industry experts, takes a deep dive into the lifecycle of creative production and content creation from planning, to process management and governance, to measurement, said Charles Ping, managing director, Winterberry Group. We identify how functional roles at brands and agencies are changing as a result raising the profile for holistic planning among creatives, strategists, media planners, data scientists and the vitality of the data and intelligence they leverage.

Source: Winterberry Group, The New Creative Paradigm How AI Is Transforming Video and Content Production, February 2024.

Such deployments are not without significant challenges, among them regulatory uncertainty, lack of clarity in costs and resource intensiveness of AI, bias elimination, limited trust in AI-generated content, and variability in quality and consistency, according to the research. Brands also have invested heavily in sustainability and diversity-equity-inclusion initiatives and it is unclear what impact AI may have on these business objectives, the report states. Human command and oversight are critical for all these reasons.

We believe brands and agencies will benefit from this research generative AI has everyones attention, and its testing and deployments, when successful, bring efficiencies and quantities in content, Kate Briganti, chief strategy officer, APR. Adherence to brand standards, consumer acceptance, engagement, and a scalable process for production must be achieved in tandem. We are excited to bring this discussion to the forefront in this white paper.

Results of the full study, as a PDF, are available for download from Winterberry Group.

ABOUT WINTERBERRY GROUP

Winterberry Group is a strategic consultancy specializing in the intersecting disciplines of advertising, marketing, data, technology and commerce. We collaborate with stakeholders across the advertising and marketing ecosystemservice providers, technology developers, media companies, brands and investor groupsto identify and activate growth opportunities that drive the creation of real and lasting value. We bring decades of experience and deep industry, operational and M&A expertise that bridges strategic development and tactical executiondriving unprecedented speed-to-action. And through our highly collaborative approach, we enable knowledge transfer and actionability, giving our clients a competitive edge and powering growth in performance, team engagement and shareholder value. Learn more at https://winterberrygroup.com.

[Editors Note: Editorial members of the media may request a full copy of the research by contacting media contacts Bruce Biegel or Charles Ping. Selected charts, findings and figures from the study may be published, sourcing Winterberry Group, The New Creative Paradigm How AI Is Transforming Video and Content Production, February 2024.

Media Contacts: USA: Bruce Biegel Senior Managing Partner Winterberry Group bruce@winterberrygroup.com

UK and Europe: Charles Ping Managing Director Winterberry Group cping@winterberrygroup.com

Photos accompanying this announcementare available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7af6537d-84e8-4bfc-adc2-a08a29ff1dd8 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3c51e88e-1919-4daa-876f-5314690e0bbc

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New Research From Winterberry Group Explores Artificial Intelligence and its Role in Transforming Video and Content ... - Yahoo Finance

Cybersecurity professionals must guard against growing threats in increasingly complex environments. Modern architectures and defence-in-depth strategies place particular emphasis on digital identity as a key component of this defence.

Trending approaches such as Zero Trust Network Architecture (ZTNA), hybrid cloud, Internet of Things (IoT), and even Web3 depend on digital identity to remain secure and functional.

However, most security professionals dont know about the looming threat to modern encryption and digital identity posed by quantum computers. Quantum computers stand to change computing architectures capabilities, bringing them many wondrous benefits.

However, their advanced capabilities include the looming ability to break the RSA and ECC encryption algorithms that are the foundation of our secure computing networks. What was once a theoretical field of research is now an engineering challenge. There is no doubt that quantum computers will become commercially viable and practical it is now just a matter of when.

In the UK particularly, were seeing a rising influence from both the public and private sides to make quantum computing a reality. In the chancellors recent statement, they confirmed the UK Governments Quantum Strategy outlined earlier this year. While commendable, his earnestness in the ten-year Quantum Plan falls short regarding a sustained commitment to safeguarding encryption security.

The contradiction is evident while the remarkable processing power of quantum holds boundless potential, it simultaneously poses a significant threat to the foundation of all encryptions.

This is why we must not forget the security challenges associated with this advanced technology. If a country does develop a quantum computer capable of breaking current encryption methods, it would likely keep it a closely guarded state secret, as the UK did when it broke the Enigma code during World War II.

This is the quantum paradox unprecedented computing benefits balanced by the ability to break encryption codes and protocols that the digital economy relies on. Businesses Ignore either side of this coin at their own peril.

For this reason, businesses must take proactive measures to prepare for the inevitable transition to quantum-safe algorithms before it is too late.

With the quantum computing era fast approaching, 2024 will see enterprises and governments preparing for this new computing paradigm.

As quantum computers will inevitably break the cryptographic foundation stones of our modern digital systems, the United States National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been leading a multi-year process to discover, test, and settle on new, post-quantum encryption algorithms for the world to use.

Expect to see widespread adoption of post-quantum cryptography, increased investments in quantum-safe solutions, and substantial mindshare given to making sure critical infrastructure, intellectual property, and sensitive systems have migration plans. Those caught unaware by the sudden emergence of quantum computers able to unravel current encryption face catastrophe.

Transitioning core systems, encryption, and data to be quantum ready before these machines go online is now an urgent priority.

Organisations in every sector will feel pressure to begin the lengthy path to quantum readiness over the next year. If they are to ensure complete security with all devices, they must start planning accordingly, with at least two years advance in mind.

This is the average time needed for an entire organisation to safely and securely roll out these complete changes regarding quantum computing. In particular, financial services, government agencies, defence contractors, and companies with valuable IP have the most at risk and must start now.

IT departments must migrate to post-quantum cryptography (PQC) before quantum computers render all their encryption worthless, exposing their secrets to any sufficiently resourced attacker.

This change will require upgrading all software and hardware to PQC-compatible versions and migrating all digital certificates to new versions that enable PQC.

This transition will become a mainstream boardroom discussion. No longer a buzzword or a topic to be tabled, becoming crypto-agile to prepare for post-quantum encryption will be a key focus for the C-suite next year.

This shift has been supported by NISTs efforts to bring about quantum-resistant encryption and its impactful educational campaign on quantum computings threat to decryption. What was a theoretical discussion about decryption has become a mainstream business focus.

The migration to PQC does not necessarily require that you retire your existing hardware. Many systems will be able to accept software updates, allowing PQC algorithms to operate in place of RSA or ECC.

However, to do so, enterprises will still need the ability to apply patches comprehensively and to change the certificates they manage throughout their infrastructure.

Given quantum computings rapid development, many new IoT devices, services, and applications that are being developed must begin adopting quantum-safe PKI. IoT devices that will be in the field for at least ten years should be prioritised in having these measures embedded so they remain secure and are not compromised by evolving quantum-based attacks.

In addition to tremendous promise, quantum computing presents us with phenomenal risk. Addressing the threat quantum computers pose to traditional encryption will require the wholesale changeover of supporting software and hardware.

Prepare your organisation now before the quantum era leaves you exposed. 2024 is the year when quantum readiness becomes both a competitive advantage and an existential requirement.

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2024: The year of quantum computing - Innovation News Network

Troubled cryptocurrency exchange Binance.US continues to face pressure from regulators in the United States in the aftermath of the former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhaos guilty plea.

Regulators in Florida and Alaska have told Binance.US that the crypto exchange can no longer serve its residents, The Wall Street Journal reported on Jan. 25.

The Alaska Division of Banking and Securities reportedly denied a renewal of Binance.USs license in January 2024. Cointelegraph approached the agency for a comment regarding the denial but did not receive a response at the time of publication.

Floridas Office of Financial Regulation has also issued an emergency suspension order against Binance.USs money transmitter license. The suspension reportedly came a week after Binances founder and former CEOZhao, also known as CZ, pleaded guilty to charges of violating U.S Anti-Money Laundering policies on Nov. 21, 2023.

In December 2023, a U.S. federal court subsequently accepted Zhaos guilty plea to one count of Bank Secrecy Act violations. As part of the settlement deal, Zhao stepped down as Binance.US chair and transferred his voting rights through a proxy agreement, removing his influence on the firms governance.

Despite the U.S. governments action against the global Binance exchange, its local business, Binance.US, continued to operate in the country. We remain fully operational and are committed to continuing to serve our customers with the same products and services as we always have, the U.S. exchange wrote on Nov. 28.

Related: Binance and SEC lawyers present arguments on crypto as a security: Report

In late December, regulators in Arkansas, Illinois and South Dakota reportedly reached an agreement with Binance.US that would allow it to keep operating in those states. As part of that, Binance.US must make the transfer of Zhaos voting rights irreversible.

After pleading guilty, Zhao has attempted to pledge his $4.5 billion stake in Binance.US as security to be permitted to travel to his home in the United Arab Emirates. According to the court records, Judge Richard Jones denied his request in a private hearing on Dec. 29.

Zhao is set to be sentenced on Feb. 23, 2024 and faces up to 18 months in prison.

Magazine: Coinbase fights SEC in court, SBFs parents seek lawsuit dismissal, and Bitcoin ETFs: Hodlers Digest, Jan. 14-20

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Binance.US gets the cold shoulder in Alaska and Florida - Cointelegraph

NEW YORK CITY An American mother who was taken hostage by Hamas in Gaza and the relatives of two men killed following the militant groups Oct 7 attack have sued crypto giant Binance for allegedly facilitating the violence.

Ms Judith Raanan, who was released with her daughter on Oct 20, and the relatives of Israel Defence Forces soldier Itay Glisko and Dr Daniel Levi Ludmir, who were murdered by Hamas, filed the lawsuit against the digital asset exchange, as well as Iran and Syria, in federal court in Manhattan on Jan 31.

It appears to be the first civil case in what is expected to be a wave of litigation targeting Hamas and its networks after the militant groups attack and mass kidnapping that sparked an ongoing war with Israel.

The lawsuit takes aim at Binance for allowing Hamas to trade on its platform.

The allegation surfaced following a regulatory and criminal investigation into the worlds largest cryptocurrency exchange that came to a head in 2023.

Binance pleaded guilty to violating sanctions and anti-money laundering laws that allowed groups like Hamas to circumvent United States banking regulations.

The exchange is paying a criminal fine of US$1.8 billion (S$2.4 billion) and forfeiting US$2.5 billion, while former Binance chief executive officer Zhao Chanpeng is awaiting sentence for violating banking laws.

Officials at Binance did not immediately reply to an e-mail seeking comment. A lawyer for Ms Raanan and the families, Mr Robert Seiden, said he is confident that the victims are entitled to recover substantial damages under US law, including an anti-terrorism Act.

We have been working on this lawsuit for weeks and believe that anyone who aids terrorism should be held accountable, he said in a statement.

According to claims made by the government in the Binance case, Hamas military wing Al-Qassam Brigades used Bitcoin transactions to raise money for the Palestinian resistance.

At least 1.1 million transactions valued at US$899 million were conducted by people living in Iran in violation of US sanctions, the company admitted.

The assistance that Binance provided to Hamas helped finance the violent attacks and recruit individuals to carry out those attacks, the complaint filed on Jan 31 states.

According to the complaint, the plaintiffs also allege that Iran emerged as the principal backer of Hamas terrorism and that it has increased funding and the supply of weapons to the group in recent years.

Iran consistently and continuously provided funding to Hamas in the amount of a hundred million US dollars each year for the purpose of allowing Hamas to buy weapons and pay its terrorist fighters and otherwise carry out its terrorist operations, the complaint states.

Similarly, the plaintiffs argue, Syria was one of the cradles of Hamas terrorism and contributed to the groups military arsenal in the lead-up to Oct 7. The complaint references press reports, publicly available research and documents filed in related court cases.

Ms Raanan, the Glisko family and Dr Ludmirs uncle, Mr Jeffrey Ludmir, are suing Binance for aiding and abetting and providing material support to Hamas. The plaintiffs are seeking damages against Iran and Syria as state sponsors of terrorism.

Ms Raanans daughter, Natalie, who was held captive for two weeks in Gaza, and Ms Raanans former husband are also named as plaintiffs. BLOOMBERG

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Binance sued by Hamas hostage, families of victims for allegedly facilitating Oct 7 attack in Israel - The Straits Times

Florida and Alaska crackdown on Binance.US, Binances subsidiary in the United States, amid regulatory pressure. The crypto exchange can no longer offer services to residents in these states.

Notably, Floridas financial watchdog suspended Binances local license swiftly. The Office of Financial Regulation acted after Changpeng Zhao (CZ), Binances former CEO, admitted to anti-money laundering violations.

Zhaos plea landed one week before the states emergency order. Now, Florida bans the company from conducting money transmission activities.

In the meantime, Alaskas banking division denied Binance.US a license renewal. The Alaska Division of Banking and Securities made the decision in early January 2024. Binance.USs legal status in other states stands unstable. Something similar is observed for the cryptocurrency titan in other countries.

Zhao pleaded guilty to breaching U.S. Bank Secrecy Act regulations in November 2023. A U.S. federal court approved his guilty plea in December. As a consequence, Zhao relinquished control over Binance.US. He also signed over voting rights to a proxy, aiming to distance himself from the firm.

In response to these events, Binance.US emphasized its operational continuity. The exchange vowed uninterrupted services to Americans post-Zhaos legal troubles. On November 28, they assured customers of maintaining usual business activities.

On the other hand, the Binance.US secured permissions to operate in three other states. Arkansas, Illinois, and South Dakota reached agreements allowing the platforms continued service. These deals hinge on the permanent transfer of Zhaos voting rights within Binance.US.

Post-guilty plea, Zhao moved to secure his $4.5 billion Binance.US share. He proposed the stake as collateral for freedom to travel to his UAE home. However, Judge Richard Jones denied the request, keeping Zhao in the U.S. Zhao now awaits sentencing set for late February 2024, with a potential 18-month prison term.

Moreover, these developments reflect heightened scrutiny over the crypto industry. They highlight the legal complexities facing cryptocurrency businesses operating in the U.S.

Binance.USs future in Florida and Alaska appears dim after regulators strict actions. Other states continue to ponder their stance on the exchanges operations. The decision in these two states symbolizes growing regulatory enforcement upon crypto-related businesses.

As the legal landscape shifts, the industry watches closely. Zhaos case is a cautionary tale for others in the digital currency sector. Compliance with anti-money laundering laws remains a paramount concern for regulatory agencies.

Interestingly, Binance recently started a more compliant approach to its operations. For example, the dominating exchange threatened to remove privacy cryptocurrencies like Monero (XMR), following a global trend to crack down on financial privacy.

Meanwhile, affected Binance.US users in Florida and Alaska must seek alternative platforms. The crypto community awaits further developments regarding Binance.US and its ability to navigate the U.S. regulatory environment.

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Florida and Alaska ban Binance from serving their residents - Finbold - Finance in Bold

After a year of underperformance in 2023, the ETH/BTC dominance will grow this year on the backdrop of Dencun upgrade and other contributing factors within the Ethereum ecosystem.

In the year 2023, Ether (ETH), the native token of the Ethereum blockchain, faced a period of underperformance compared to Bitcoin (BTC). Bitcoins newfound narrative centered around smart contracts, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and optimism surrounding a spot exchange-traded fund (ETF) drew significant investor interest. Analysts now suggest a potential reevaluation of Ether in 2024, given Ethereums continued status as the leading smart contract blockchain globally, coupled with upcoming key upgrades. Analysts also see Ether as a strong contender for the next spot-based ETF in the United States.

In a recent weekly newsletter, Nasdaq-listed cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase expressed optimism, stating that ETH could be poised for a breakout year. The impact of last weeks Bitcoin ETF news proved beneficial for Ethereum, causing a brief spike above $2,700, marking its highest price since May 2022. Further optimism for ETHs near-term future arises from the fact that firms behind Bitcoin ETFs, including BlackRock and VanEck, are actively considering Ethereum-based spot ETFs.

A spot ETF involves actual cryptocurrency investment, offering exposure to the asset without direct ownership. This is a favorable alternative to futures-based ETFs, which are susceptible to roll costs. The potential launch of spot ETH ETFs is likely to unleash a flood of institutional and retail investment, mirroring the success observed with nearly a dozen Bitcoin spot ETFs that commenced trading in the US last Thursday. These Bitcoin ETFs have collectively recorded a cumulative volume exceeding $10 billion, with BlackRocks product amassing an impressive $1 billion in inflows.

Coinbase reports that Ethereums upcoming Dencun upgrade, designed to enhance the mainnets scalability through the introduction of data blobs, has the potential to ignite investor interest in the cryptocurrency. The upgrade recently went live on Ethereums Goerli testnet.

The Dencun upgrade introduces data blobs, which are temporary transaction data memories typically associated with Layer 2 solutions. These can be attached to Ethereum. Thus, following the mainnet upgrade, the network will only need to confirm the correctness of the blob data attached to the block, reducing congestion and network fees.

Coinbase notes that the Dencun upgrade, currently undergoing initial tests, is likely to implement Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) 4844 in the coming months. Some Ethereum observers predict that this proposal could significantly decrease network fees by 90% or more.

In its annual report, institutional crypto firm ETC Group expresses a bullish outlook for the ether-bitcoin ratio. Despite Bitcoins surge in network activity in 2023, Ethereum continues to dominate as the preferred chain for decentralized applications, NFTs, and tokenized assets.

ETC Groups data reveals that the top 10 ERC-20 tokens on Ethereum have a combined market value of $21 billion, surpassing the $1.6 billion market capitalization of the entire BRC-20 token universe on the Bitcoin network. ERC-20 represents Ethereums token standard, while BRC-20 signifies a fungible digital asset on the Bitcoin network.

Additionally, in 2024, Ethereum investors can generate extra returns by staking or locking their coins on the network, earning rewards at an annualized rate of around 3.84%. Ethereums feature of burning a portion of transaction fees paid in ETH further contributes to a deflationary effect on the tokens supply, positively impacting investors.

ETC Group emphasizes Ethereums strong dominance in smart contract platforms and the potential for additional yield, stating that Ethereum should be a core holding in a diversified crypto asset portfolio. The report anticipates a reversal in the relative performance of ETH/BTC in 2024, citing historical trends of mean reversion in the 12-month relative performance of these two cryptocurrencies.

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Ethereum's ETH Gears Up for Potential Resurgence in 2024 amid Dencun Upgrade - Coinspeaker

Jimmy Kimmel has accused Donald Trump of having "no self-awareness whatsoever" in a searing assessment of his comments about the Iowa caucuses.

The Associated Press called the race on Monday soon after the caucuses convened across the state before some sites had even finished making speeches in support of each candidate.

With virtually all votes accounted for, the former president was at 51 percent, 30 points ahead of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in second place, with around 21 percent, and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley at just over 19 percent. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy received 7.7 percent and dropped out of the race, immediately endorsing Trump.

Trump's success in Iowa has cemented his place early on as the clear favorite to clinch the GOP presidential nomination.

Speaking about the Iowa caucuses on Jimmy Kimmel Live! the following day, the host quipped that Trump won "tiny handedly," a reference to a long-running insult about the size of the former president's hands.

"Even though he barely spent any time in Iowa, he somehow made voters love him more," Kimmel, a frequent Trump critic, went on. "It's the same strategy he used raising [his sons] Eric and Don Jr."

Kimmel then played a clip of Trump speaking at a rally in Indianola, Iowa, where the former president spoke about the value of the state's caucuses.

"These caucuses are your personal chance to score the ultimate victory over all of the liars, cheaters, thugs, perverts, frauds, crooks, freaks, creeps and other quite nice people," Trump told his supporters.

"It's like he's reading his own LinkedIn rsum," Kimmel said about Trump. "I mean, seriously. It's no self-awareness whatsoever."

After replaying each of the insults Trump leveled at his detractors, Kimmel concluded: "Yeah, that's him. That's exactly him. That's the guy."

Newsweek has contacted a Trump campaign representative via email for comment.

Trump has long been the GOP front-runner in the polls, which predicted that he would have no trouble winning in Iowa. All eyes will now be on the first-in-the-nation primary vote in New Hampshire on January 23, which is expected to be a closer race, albeit with Trump still considered the leader.

While Trump continues to march forward with his efforts to reclaim the White House, he is facing a raft of legal troubles after being indicted in four criminal cases.

Trump still maintains that he was cheated in the 2020 election after losing to President Joe Biden, despite a lack of any evidence. On January 6, 2021, a violent mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol to try to stop Congress from certifying the states' electoral votes.

Last August, Trump was indicted on four counts by the Department of Justice in connection with his actions before and during the riot: conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding; and conspiracy against rights. He has pleaded not guilty and says that the case against him is politically motivated.

Trump also faces legal challenges that seek to remove him from the ballot in several states, with two having already acted to bar his name from primary voters' consideration. The lawsuits argue that Trump is ineligible to run under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which bars officials who have sworn an oath to the U.S. Constitution from holding office if they engage in insurrection.

Maine's secretary of state and Colorado's Supreme Court decided to remove the former president from the 2024 ballot in their primaries.

Trump has maintained that he did not engage in an insurrection and has accused those filing lawsuits against him of election interference. The former president has also filed an appeal against the Colorado decision, which the U.S. Supreme Court said it will take up. Oral arguments are set to begin on February 8.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

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Jimmy Kimmel Calls Out Donald Trump'No Self-Awareness Whatsoever' - Newsweek

Resolutions are kind of bullshit, but they can represent a great step forward.

New Years resolutions are a popular tradition. New year, new me is a common phrase youll hear a lot during this time. Funnily enough, no one ever finishes them. How many people do you or I know that fall off from their resolutions after the first couple weeks or days of the new year?

Ive seen many bemoan resolutions, saying how theyre useless and a way for people to feel like theyre improving while just remaining stagnant. While I see where these people are coming from, screw that. Many resolutions may fall through the cracks, but the influx of resolution-goers can help inspire a select few to forever change their lifestyles for the better.

First off, only nine percent of Americans see their resolutions fully. Thats not a great stat. So yeah, its easy to argue against the usefulness of resolutions. Why even bother with them if the follow-through rate is so minuscule? Well, its not that simple. I am always going to advocate for positive change. While the positive change here may be small, when one dives into the deeper numbers and finds out whats really going on, it makes for a much stronger case. Get your calculators out, theres going to be a lot of numbers here.

In the United States, only 38.5 percent of adults actually make resolutions. I used to think everyone, or at least most people, made them. Nowadays, thats pretty uncommon. I believe many people nowadays have a bit of a defeatist mindset when it comes to resolutions. Resolutions have a negative stigma of being very temporary. I feel like this has a lot to do with the seasonal nature of them. Resolutions come around once a year, and the truth is, many people just have trouble sticking to it. Not a ton of people are making them anyways. If it were a social media trend on the other hand, then maybe more would participate.

Perhaps, more resolutions are being substituted away for people trying to make a permanent, year-round change through other self-improvement techniques. Over 40 percent of adults in the United States make use of self-improvement materials. That isnt necessarily limited to books like how to be popular for dummies. Self-improvement content is so vast and expansive in our modern age. Its a fad in its own right. I take part in it for Petes sake. Im crazy about anything related to self-improvement. Whether its videos regarding workout techniques, tips with dieting or strategies as to how to save and invest money, self-improvement is a wide umbrella. One could argue that this way is for the better. Resolutions are quite temporary, they come and go, but committing to a positive lifestyle change THAT is what will make long-lasting change. Right?

The answer is yes, but also no. While many people let go of their resolutions as time goes on, not everyone does. A resolution can be fleeting, but a commitment to self-improvement should be a year-round thing. If you ask me, out of one thousand people, if only a handful of these people stick to their plans and continue their new, healthy lifestyle of improvement, its a win. Yes, it would be a lot better if more people stuck to their goals, but thats not necessarily realistic. In a perfect world, everyone does their best to improve as much as they can, but this is the next best, most realistic thing.

Nicolas Scagnelli is a senior majoring in English.

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Resolutions are fleeting but important - Pipe Dream - Binghamton University Pipe Dream