Final answer:
The most negatively affected individuals due to societal trends would be those who faced adversity or were marginalized, such as racial minorities, the poor, and the elderly. They were more likely to experience economic hardships and had a harder time finding employment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The group of Americans most negatively affected by a given trend would fundamentally be those who experienced adverse consequences as a result of that trend. Given the contextual information provided, it is clear that the most vulnerable populations including children, the elderly, racial minorities like African Americans, as well as other minority groups like disenfranchised Mexican Americans and Native Americans, faced the gravest challenges.
This population would have had the most clearly negative experience as they faced economic hardships, discrimination, and greater unemployment rates. In an economy where non-White people and those from marginalized communities typically have higher unemployment rates, trends such as industrialization, globalization, or economic downturns can exacerbate existing societal disparities, leading to a widened gap between privileged white, middle-class Americans and those in the 'other America'.
Additionally, the effects of industrialization on consumers and the social, political, economic, and cultural factors also had a significant impact, particularly on those with less opportunity and resources to adapt to changes these trends represented.