Hype Cycle
The experience of any new technology over time where its inception generates inflated hype, followed in turn by disillusionment, and finally back up to a renewed but realistic opportunity.
Origin
Created by Gartner analyst Jackie Fenn and first published in a 1995 research note titled 'When to Leap on the Hype Cycle.' Initially intended as a one-off publication, client demand turned it into an annual franchise charting technologies from the 'Peak of Inflated Expectations' through the 'Trough of Disillusionment' to the 'Plateau of Productivity.'
Everyday Use
Hype cycles are most conspicuously seen in technology — computers, the Internet, mobile phones, and now AI. But they are equally present in how we experience new jobs, friendships, and anything "new". The trick is not to ignore or remove the 'hype', but to recognize the peaks and valleys for what they are, when they are.