(pronounced keh-KOON-ing)

The word cocoon has, of course, been around for hundreds of years, but this verb form is relatively new. Marketing consultant and trend forecaster Faith Popcorn is credited with having coined the term in the 1990s. It means retreating to the seclusion of one’s home for an increased desire for privacy or escape, which results in individuals socializing less. Access to rapidly advancing technologies is certainly a catalyst for the phenomenon. Between high-speed Internet, cell phones and PDAs, satellite and cable television, web cameras, cheap memory storage, and global delivery carriers, people increasingly have the option to work from home. Secondly, falling home entertainment system pricing allows for an increasingly higher quality media experience in one’s living room, making trekking to the local movie theater a less desirable options. Lastly, high gasoline and airline prices encourage less travel and more time enjoying the comforts of home.

Example: After interviewing his newest residential clients for over three hours, Robert realized that he was going to have to do some research on advanced electronics systems integration so that he could effectively accommodate the family’s cocooning tendencies.