Over the past week or so I’ve been working on a blog post summarizing the 2000s and wondering what the biggest themes, events, and trends were, both in China and beyond. When I sat down to write it I realized that there was so much to say that a simple blog post here wouldn’t do it justice. Perhaps when I have more time around the end of the year I’ll give it another stab.
Instead I’d like to think ahead to the ‘teens, the 2010s, or whatever we might call the next decade. What sorts of things are likely to happen, both at home and abroad? I’ve laid out a few thoughts to get the ball rolling.
1. Within the US and the developed world there are three ideas that will gather momentum in the next ten years: acceptance of gay marriage, decriminalization of marijuana, and action on climate change. Part of this prediction is hopeful as I support all three wholeheartedly, but I do think that if the past ten years are any indication these three ideas have gone from being somewhat farfetched to at least plausible.
2. The reading of a daily newspaper will cease as we know it, and by 2020 or earlier all newspapers will be digital. In order to make this model work subscribers will pay for news content and likely other services such as social networking websites, search engines, and even some opinion journals. The next generation of web- web 3.0 if you will-will be figuring out how to pay for it all.
3. Environmental incentives will lead to an increase in high-density living in the US, following current trends in Europe and in East Asia. This will be coupled by increased support for high-speed rail and other initiatives. The golden age for the American automobile will recede even further into the past.
These are merely three- anyone care to add more, or comment on mine?
Comments 3
The car is dead. Long live the car. Alternative energy. And, in countries like our two, long-overdue development of public transport.
Posted 27 Oct 2009 at 6:41 pm ¶Medical advancements will enable our parents to live well into their 100’s, causing our generation to die early of stress-related illnesses.
Posted 27 Oct 2009 at 11:39 pm ¶There was once a time when TV was free to receive. I agree that web access is going in the same direction – we pay for the access already – but subscriptions will soon be required as well….I think this will lead to more cyber policing and cyber security/cyber terrorism will continue to plague us all. Sorry if this is a little tangentic.
Posted 10 Nov 2009 at 4:24 am ¶Trackbacks & Pingbacks 1
[...] to go until we close the book on the 2000s and embrace the 2010s, something I speculated upon in this recent post. For those of you already feeling nostalgic about the ‘aughts, here’s a blog dedicated [...]
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