America This Week Wave 255

Crispy Parenting, Biohacking Your Way To Better Health, Where The Tech Jobs Are Now, While B2B Waits For The TikTok Jury.

The latest trends in society and culture from The Harris Poll

For many, this is “Dry January”. Still, our latest research finds that nearly (75%) of Americans (aged 21 to 65) are considering using THC/CBP products this year. DoorDash has even added hemp-derived product delivery in select states.

We have four new stories this week:

1. We coined “Crispy Parents” last year to describe over-stressed Moms and Dads. Our new research shows that added workplace stress might be their tipping point.
2. In The Next Big Think!, our trends team explains why biohacking is what’s next in health and wellness.
3. We survey U.S. engineer leaders on where the new tech jobs will be in 2025.
4. B2B marketing plans are in limbo as we await news on a possible TikTok ban.

Parents Are Burned Out: Bright Horizons-Harris Poll

Crispy Parenting resulted from our Stress in America survey with the American Psychological Association, which found elevated parental stress levels nearly double that of the general population. In our new study with Bright Horizons, the heat is turned up even more for parents in the workplace.

• Can’t escape work: A third (34%) of working parents feel they’re working too many hours, while (43%) are stressed about not being paid well enough for their work.
• And over half (58%) say they’re not giving 100% of themselves at work.
• And workplace stress follows parents home: Nearly two-thirds (63%) worry they cannot give their all to their families.
• Nearly half (46%) said “help with paying for child care” top their wish lists of helpful benefits/supports; less than a third (29%) have such assistance.

Takeaway: The U.S. Surgeon General studied our surveys, saying, “Something has to change. It begins with fundamentally shifting how we value parenting, recognizing that the work of raising a child is crucial to the health and well-being of all society. This change must extend to policies, programs, and individual actions designed to make this vital work easier.”

America’s Wellness Upgrade: Harris Trends Practice

In the latest installment of our CSO Libby Rodney and MD Abbey Lunney’s The Next Big Think!, Abbey details a new chapter Americans write regarding their health – one where health is fun and experimental.

• Cultural Shift #1 – The Health Glow Up: (87%) of Americans want to have fun getting healthy (think adult-only ninja warrior nights), especially when (72%) agree there’s too much judgment around health these days.
• Cultural Shift #2 – Medical Main Characters: We are watching an entire generation demand directors cuts to their health narratives, such as paying to know their biological age and how their cells are aging (69%).
• Cultural Shift #3 – The Democratization of Elite Health For Your Life Span: Biohacking one’s health has gone mainstream as Americans want innovations to stay healthy, such as whole body diagnostic scanning (74%), stem cell therapy to slow aging (58%), and even exoskeleton devices to help with mobility (50%).

Takeaway: “In a moment when every headline wants to remind us that everything fun might kill us, Americans are flipping the script on how health feels,” writes Lunney. “The brands that win this shift won’t be the ones shaming us into wellness or slapping warning labels on joy – they’ll be transforming biological data into binge-worthy content, turning health metrics into achievement unlocks, and making wellness feel like an adventure worth staying on.” Check out Abbey’s full dive and the cultural implications for brands.

U.S. Engineering Leaders Take Tech Hiring Abroad: Karat-Harris Poll

The United States tech job market is poised to rebound in 2025, following AI-induced turbulence marked by mass layoffs and strategic shifts. However, our new survey of U.S. engineering leaders with Karat in Forbes finds many new jobs may be offshore.

• While there is a 12% YOY increase in open software engineer roles, (81%) of U.S. engineering leaders plan to hire abroad – an 8%-pt increase from last year.
• There’s been a notable uptick in contract hiring: Further, (28%) of leaders now prioritize outsourcing via contractors (22% last year).
• And the share of U.S. engineering leaders hiring for AI engineer roles rose from 35% last year to 60% today.
• As global competition heats up, engineering leaders in India are finding it harder to close top talent: Just (32%) of Indian software leaders found it very easy to hire top software engineering candidates that raise their hiring bar – down 9%-pts.

Takeaway: While this shift toward global talent acquisition reflects the industry’s adaptability and recognition of the diverse skill sets available internationally, the globalization and offshoring of U.S. jobs will intensify competition for available positions.

TikTok’s Ban Could Derail B2B Marketing Plans: Madison Logic-Harris Poll

Business-to-business marketers will continue taking a page out of the business-to-consumer brand playbook in 2025, with plans to ramp up investment in social media, AI, and podcast marketing. According to a new Harris Poll with Madison Logic among director-level and higher leaders in marketing, advertising, communications, and social media.

• Out with the old, in with the new in 2025: B2B marketers are planning to funnel more marketing dollars into social media advertising (60%), AI tools (60%), video (53%), and podcast advertising (50%).
• Specifically, (64%) planned to advertise more in consumer-facing spaces such as TikTok and Instagram in 2025, with (66%) prioritizing shorter, engaging ads over long-form content.
• The rise of the influencer: Over half (56%) cited influencer marketing as a key means of connecting with their audience, and (29%) said they would invest in influencer marketing for the first time.
• Hopefully, marketers have learned their lesson: Last year, we found with Creator Vision that (89%) of creators said they have audience insights that brands fail to access.

Takeaway: While agencies and media platforms wait for the Supreme Court decision on a TikTok ban, many agencies are preparing to shift their social strategies. And while many are sticking it out until a decision is made, many are slowly diversifying onto other platforms as they remain engaged with the billions of users still scrolling on the app. But pivoting isn’t as simple as it sounds: “If TikTok disappears, brands and creators will lose (in some cases) a business-critical marketing vehicle because of TikTok’s unique algorithm and powerful organic reach capabilities that not even Instagram or YouTube can fill,” says the Martin Agency’s Ashley Davis Marshall, ECD and head of social, and Erika Wuelfrath, director of social engagement.