George Orwell’s 1984 was published in 1949 – 70 years ago. And in 1983, Isaac Asimov wrote a piece for the Toronto Star, predicting what the world would be like in 2019. While he got some of it right (computerization, for example), there were some inaccuracies (of course – how in the world could you truly get EVERYTHING correct, right? Dude wasn’t exactly a time traveller). He thought, for example, we’d be mining on the moon.
What about your average person’s prediction? My education is in the arts and humanities (drama and history major as an undergrad), so I probably have zero clout in any kind of prediction. However, this doesn’t stop me from coming up with my own ideas.
First of all, we have to believe that someone isn’t going to ruin it all, and ruin it quickly. Based on what’s happening around the world, with the rise of fascism and nationalism (and we don’t mean “nationalism” in the separatist vs nationalist sense), things could be disastrous within even five years. I for one think it may be slow and there will be SOMEONE who’ll help turn things around…eventually, anyway. Not in 2019 or even 2020, but maybe 2024 or 2025. This really depends on who is running each country – especially the United States. Europe is important as well, as is everyone’s relationship with China and Russia.
I don’t want to make things too dark, nor do I want to paint a rosy picture of the future. I think we have to go through some dark times before we see the light. While things won’t likely get too dark here (despite Doug Ford being in office in Ontario), I fear for the rest of the world. I think the United States, however, will “get it” sooner – Trump supporters are already becoming dissatisfied – than, say, Europe.
Hate will continue to escalate, especially in Europe. Why? Unlike, say, Canada or the United States, the whole idea of diversity and the majority of people either coming from elsewhere or having ancestors who did is not ingrained. People there often ask us why so many Americans and Canadians hyphenate their ancestry. It’s “normal” for many of us here, but they think it’s odd. Once you leave, you leave, and you’re part of “them.” As for hate here, the left’s push for uber-political correctness will cause tension. Heck, even I’m tired of it (and I’m sure my regular readers know how I feel from posts like this or this), and there’s no way I can ever align myself with the radical right. I’m sure many of my blogging peers think otherwise, considering how I’ve been called an “over-privileged brat” before. Privileged, yes, I admit to that, but brat? Whoa, hon, that was nice. Anyway, I think I’m going off-topic.
So what would the world be like, politically-speaking, in 2054? It won’t be too dark. We would have emerged from darkness by then. We would finally realize that pay equity REALLY comes from equal work. This means that toxic masculinity would slow down and guys would realize that it’s just as important for THEM to take time off after the arrival of a baby. Quebec’s current “use it or lose it” leave policy for men will be federal and yes, guys won’t feel uncomfortable actually taking that time off. Only when (straight) guys realize it’s important to take time off to spend with their children and not worry about having to work, could we actually achieve a more equal status. Many women lose out on the opportunity to be promoted because they fall behind after taking extended time off to be with their children. It’s still primarily OUR JOB to take our kids to the doctor, to go meet with the school and most of all, WE are usually the ones who take all that time off when our children are born. It isn’t our husbands. The workplace also needs to be more flexible, allowing the ability to work remotely. The technology is there already, so why not?
Sure, I know what you’re going to say. Women NEED more time off because they were the ones who were pregnant. First of all, not all moms become mothers through their own pregnancies. I didn’t. And many others did not either. Are we less of a mom than those who did? And why are we the ones burdened with all the work, unpaid work, in addition to our “real” jobs? No wonder we’re more likely to be stressed. Why don’t men take more time off anyway? By taking more time off, we DO lose out to people who don’t. Taking 12 months off work for maternity and parental leave means you’re one year behind your job. You’re where you were when you left, while someone – male or female – who did not have a child and had the exact same position you did has made more money and has had an extra 12 months of experience. Remember, you don’t get your full salary while you’re on EI (I’m talking only from a Canadian perspective). And once you go back, you might be in the office less if you’re the one who needs to take your kids to their appointments. But this will change. Men will soon realize that they need to contribute more, and a “use it or lose it” leave policy will help them. This policy will also mean there’ll be less “mean boy” pressure at work. We need to start thinking differently. Only then would the world change. This is already changing, but I don’t think we’re doing enough. I have a little boy and it’s a scary time for them. I think it’s scarier for them than it is for little girls.
Why do I think that way? We already have many positive role models for girls. Everywhere, I see books targeting very young girls, books about women who made a difference. STEM-related books and toys targeting girls. But what about toys and books which teach boys that it’s okay to be sensitive? They’re out there (e.g. Wonder Crew), but they don’t get nearly as much press as, say, American Girl. Is that even fair? And why aren’t we talking about how it ISN’T fair the way we discuss, say, women in science or politics?
Speaking of politics, I’m not sure whether we would have a woman PM or that the United States would have a female President by that time, but we will see more equality in terms of representatives. However, in order to achieve this, we need to encourage more women and people of all ethnic backgrounds to run. We always say that government needs to truly represent the people, but when you look at it, do people of all backgrounds even WANT to run? You can’t have, say, a Chinese-Canadian mayor of a big city if no one of Chinese heritage runs for office, right? And we also need to rethink what “diversity” means. We are always looking at diversity from an ethnic perspective. Does it HAVE to be that way? Say there are two boards. Both are made up of seven people. Board #1, all white and male (of varying ages), is made up of the following:
- 2 from the LGBTQ community, grew up middle class
- 1 who grew up in a lower income, rural Canadian home
- 1 from quite the opposite – very privileged, private school educated and multigeneration Canadian
- 2 from middle class homes, child of immigrant grandparents who were Holocaust survivors
- 1 Eastern European immigrant
Board #2 is made up three women and four men. While this board is ethnically diverse (one woman of East Asian heritage (Catholic), two white men (one Jewish and another Anglo Protestant), one South Asian man, a black man and two white women), they are all between 35-45, educated in the same sort of high school (various Toronto-area independent schools), one of three universities (let’s say Queen’s, Western or McGill) and all play golf at the same two country clubs.
So please tell me, readers, which one is more diverse? Or are they diverse in different ways? Does the PC community/ultra-left forget that such people exist? Because I KNOW that I’ve been dismissed each and every time I bring such a subject up. Or do they just ignore the fact? The left must come to a realization before TRUE diversity can become a reality. Like feminism, there’s more than one kind of diversity.
As for technology, well, that’s fairly easy, I’d say. The digital world will, of course, continue to rule our lives. We already can’t live without our phones, right? Self-driving cars will, of course, be more common, even within five to 10 years. Turning 16 would no longer be a big deal, though I’m sure they’ll find ways to restrict minors under, say, 12 (or even 16) from being allowed to control where the car goes. That shouldn’t be hard. Face or fingerprint recognition already exists for many of our devices, so people can easily restrict access to certain people – especially kids. There shouldn’t be a worry that your 10 year old would steal your car!
You might say that’ll put drivers out of work. However, anyone who complains about that forgets that there’ll be new jobs developed in areas they never thought of. 100 years ago, street lights were still individually lit. Then came electricity, and lamp lighters no longer had work. We now accept that street lights are turned on by a computer.
I think we’ll be a cashless society within ten years. Sorry, but I don’t carry much cash with me. Most days, I don’t have any. Credit cards, debit cards and my phone are how I pay for things. Some cafes already don’t take cash (e.g. Sorry and Calii Love). In parts of Asia, a part of the world where you’d think cash is still king, many young people give and receive lai see (money in red envelopes one often gives and receives around the Lunar New Year) by app – you’ll get an alert when someone sends you something. It’s nothing like actually receiving lai see, a tradition that goes back years, but if that’s what people do, that’s what people do. It’s likely because many younger people just feel uncomfortable carrying large amounts of cash (and when several people give you lai see, yeah, you could have a lot of money with you at one time).
Speaking of cash, let’s talk about shopping. Actual brick-and-mortar stores will still exist. I like touching items, tasting them if it’s food (that’s what Costco sample people are for – haha). For things I need frequently, and am familiar with a brand, then yes, I will buy them online. I also like scouring at farmer’s markets and craft shows to discover new, independent brands. It’s one reason why I LOVE the One of a Kind Show. I go both times each year. I also like going to summer markets. I’m not alone at this. Many people my age love these things too.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t NOT shop online. Things which are bulky and heavy are purchased online. I’m petite and I don’t have a car, so yeah, I’ll need things shipped to me (don’t tell me to “make do with what I can” – I’m sorry, when you’re under 100 lb at barely 5’2″ and have a baby, YOU JUST CAN’T!!! Even if you try). The good thing about shopping online in the future is this: Drones. I know they scare some people, but hey, you don’t have to deal with delivery people. And packages won’t only be traceable by number, but there’ll be cameras so one would know EXACTLY where a package is. And the camera will be disabled once the package is opened (but footage will be accessible for 48 hours after opening).
One thing which worries me a bit is privacy. There are cameras everywhere now. Sure, it can keep us safe, but when everyone knows what you’re doing, when you’re doing it, would you even GET any time to yourself? Without anyone knowing what you’re doing? I like how easy it is to communicate with people and to tell the world how you feel, but sometimes, you just want to power off. Will we be able to power off, even five years from now?
It’s not just privacy, but media in general. We already live in a world where anyone CAN be media. Sure, that’s great, especially for people like me who are attempting to have our voices heard (and constantly ignored, especially when it comes to our own views on diversity. Mainstream media and the left don’t acknowledge us. At all). However, it could get into the hands of the wrong people (both left and right) and could be disastrous. Legislation will come, but it can’t also violate Charter rights. That is, the right to expressing ourselves. I like being able to blog about my own opinion on things, the world. And social media has been kind to me – it’s a lot easier for me to tell the world how I feel.
But would it be even easier? How would the ability to share change? How would the ability to get attention for MAINSTREAM media change? And how do we change people? What I REALLY don’t want to see is one thing: people tuning out to things they don’t want to know about. We need to really broaden our horizons and look at things from at different angles. Metrics could be used to target people who focus too much from one angle, urging them to look at things differently. For example, if you are right wing, you could, all of a sudden, see sponsored links which are more liberal. Yeah, I know, you can choose to ignore them, but if it’s clickbait-y enough, you’ll click, right? Annoying, sure, but hey, any way to change people!!!
Finally, health. Wearable technology has certainly helped. I wear my Fitbit, even to bed as I want to track my sleep in addition to activity and heart rate. I won’t be surprised if some sort of wearable device would work with pharmaceutical companies. Wearables which work like medical patches could be a new way for those on medication to take them. That way, we won’t have to worry about when we take them or miss dosages. Like medical patches, these devices will dispense medication as needed. And even at the correct time. And once medication is close to running out, it will alert the individual to renew their prescription. This really isn’t all that far off – at least I don’t think so.
I know media have been painting a dark picture on overall health due to the radical increase in obesity. I beg to differ. I think people will come to their senses and will be able to manage a healthier lifestyle. But this could just be the world I live in – I work out five days a week and eat a reasonably healthy diet. However, the only way this could work is if we make food more accessible and affordable. And I think this can be easily done. Frozen fruits and vegetables are definitely cheaper than fresh, for example. And they don’t taste bad, especially if they’re flash frozen.
Of course, eating right isn’t the only thing one needs to do to become healthier, activity is important as well. For body, mind AND spirit. Workplaces need to rethink the regular 40 hour workweek, giving people more flex time (and the ability to work remotely). Actual physical activity, perhaps by offering gym membership as a part of one’s benefits package, will also help. All in all, I think we have the ability to become better people.
I think I’ve gone on enough and now it’s YOUR TURN. How do YOU think the world will be in 35 years? Heck, how do you think the world would be in 10 or even five?
Image credit: iurii/Shutterstock
