As statistical time series, social indicators are used to monitor the social system, helping to identify changes and to guide intervention to alter the course of social change. Extending time series into the future, while an imperfectly developed art, enables more realistic planning. The geographic allocation of resources by governments through ecological indicators redistributes funds more equitably. By combining with programmatic activities to alter the rate and direction of change, social indicators may play a role in social transformations. The social indicator “movement” has led to improvements in social measurement, social reporting, and social accounting and has stimulated measurement of the quality of life. By employing social indicators, sociological research should include the time dimension, ecological variables, and should attempt forecasts of the future.