Putting Recency Bias in Check

The holidays and the promise of a fresh start with the new year always get me reflecting. I find myself looking back to make sense of the past year while also dreaming up what’s next. Something tells me I’m not the only one who does this—it’s a natural way to hit the mental reset button. But lately, I’ve been thinking about how we tend to give way too much weight to what just happened, forgetting the bigger picture.

It started with my news feed. Every other article was recapping the year, throwing out phrases like “unprecedented” or “never before in history.” Sure, 2024 was a wild ride, but was it really that unique? Or are we just falling for a little thing called “recency bias”?

Recency bias happens when we hyper-focus on recent events, forgetting the broader context. Basically, we treat the “now” as more important than the “then,” which can totally skew our view of reality. It’s like staring at the last page of a book and deciding the whole story was about that one scene.

Being a bit of a history nerd, I couldn’t let this go. I started thinking about whether these “unprecedented times” are actually as unique as they feel. And when I looked at big global trends—especially around education and innovation—some patterns jumped out.

Here are five major forces driving today’s rapid changes. Spoiler: They’ve been building for a while, and they all feed into each other.  If you read this blog, or any other thought leader in this space, they should strike a familiar chord with you. 

 

1. Exponential Tech Growth

Tech isn’t just advancing—it’s leaping forward. Think AI tools like ChatGPT or autonomous cars. Each breakthrough builds on the last, transforming industries like healthcare and transportation at warp speed.

 

2. Global Connectivity

The internet turned the world into one giant group chat. Just look at how quickly we shared info and developed vaccines during COVID-19. The ability to connect instantly is a game-changer for solving global challenges.

 

3. Data Overload

We’re drowning in data from our phones, smart devices, and digital platforms. Companies like Amazon use this tidal wave of info to predict what we’ll want before we even know we want it. It’s not magic—it’s just data doing its thing.

 

4. Urbanization & Population Growth

More people, more cities, more problems to solve. Places like Singapore are leading the way with smart cities, using data to make everything from traffic to energy use more efficient.

 

5. Global Competition

Competition’s fierce on a global scale. Industries like smartphones crank out new models every few months to keep up with demand, pushing the pace of innovation.

 

All these trends create a kind of snowball effect, where one change triggers another—and another—making progress faster and more far-reaching than ever.

So, are these times truly unprecedented? Maybe. But history reminds us that change has always been the only constant. What feels extraordinary today might just be tomorrow’s ordinary.

Most importantly, what does this mean for education?  Expect a constant disruptive push for 1) Individualized innovation, 2) Democratization of information and access, and 3) Global competitive forces to shape education in the new era.