Why the future is brighter than you think
War in Ukraine, climate change, school shootings, MAGA rage
Covid-19, Amy Coney, reproductive rights
Clarence Thomas, Ginni Thomas, Elon Musk, and Twitter drama
Insurrection, mass inflation, Proud Boys starting fights
We didn’t start the fire
It was always burning, since the world’s been turning
We didn’t start the fire
No, we didn’t light it, but we tried to fight it
So yeah, things aren’t looking so hot right now (except for global temperatures)
Everywhere you look, whether it’s Covid, climate change, gun violence, inflation or war, it’s just one thing after another after another.
It’s even been described as the “Vibe Shift at the End of the World” by everyone’s favorite curmudgeon, Umair Haque.
Case in point: The number of people who thought this year would be better than last year (65%) is the lowest it’s ever been:
If we were in the MCU timeline, we’d be at the end of Avengers: Infinity War (half the world is gone and everyone feels like sh*t)
But then came Endgame, where the Avengers built a time machine and emerged victorious.
While we don’t have a time machine, we actually have something even better. Something called HISTORY. And by looking at the past, we can see that there was never a time on earth when things were perfect.
In fact, there were periods that were much, much worse than the time we’re living in now:
One reason it feels so bad right now is — ironically — due to all the progress we’ve made
Widespread access to the tools necessary for sharing and accessing information — combined with an increasing appetite for the consumption of that information — has made previously isolated incidents part of our shared global experience.
Although it might not look like it, this could turn out to be one of the best times to be alive.
That’s because history isn’t a line; it’s a wheel. And historians have pointed out that it regularly repeats itself in a familiar pattern:
Let’s use the past 80 years in American History as an example:
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High (1945–1965): WWII ends, TV and Rock & Roll are invented
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Awakening (1965–1985): JFK assassination, LSD, Beatles, Dylan, space program, computers
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Unraveling (1985–2005): LA riots, 9/11, grunge/Kurt Cobain, Columbine
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Crisis (2005–2025): 2008 financial crisis, January 6th, Covid, etc. et al.
It’s surprisingly accurate:
- Current crisis (2005–2025): see above
- Previous crisis: (1925–1945): Great Depression, WWII
- Previous crisis (1845–1865): Civil War
- Previous crisis (1765–1785): Revolutionary War
If this holds true, we’re in for some seriously good times ahead.
Get ready for the new roaring 20s
While a lot of sh*tty things happened in the 20th Century, it was history’s greatest overall expansion of wealth and well-being.
All this progress wasn’t the consequence of any one invention (i.e. car, radio, telephone, etc.); it was the effect of all of them happening at once.
More importantly, it wasn’t so much the invention of these technologies but the maturation of them.
The average “overnight success” actually takes about 60 years
For example, the iPhone was only possible because of previous technologies that took decades to develop — the integrated circuit, a pocket-sized TV screen, and the lithium-ion battery.
Same with Amazon, which only exists because the Internet, the smartphone, and the data center all evolved separately to become commercially viable.
Going back even further, the reason railroads succeeded was because of three prior innovations: the steam engine, high-strength steel, and the telegraph (for coordinating operations on a single track). And the telegraph itself — i.e. the “Victorian Internet” — wouldn’t have been possible without the electromagnet, the battery, and cable-making.
We are on the precipice of another key inflection point
Several new technologies are all maturing around the same time:
Each one alone would be enough to generate massive disruption. All of them together will radically alter every single aspect of our lives, which historians and scholars are predicting will bring about greater wealth, health, convenience, and leisure.
For example, the AI-infused Cloud will be as different from the Internet as the Internet was from the telephone network. Its capabilities for observing, measuring, and harvesting data will do as much to advance the tools of basic discovery as the microscope and the telescope.
Nobel economist Edmund Phelps predicts that we are poised for Mass Flourishing, and Klaus Schwab, Chairman of the World Economic Forum, has called it a Fourth Industrial Revolution.
To quote David Bowie, ch-ch-ch-ch-changes are coming
However, technology does not exist in a vacuum. While there may come a day when humans are removed from the equation altogether, and everything is run by our AI overlords, right now we’re still in control.
So to fully understand what’s coming, we need to view it through the lens of the people who are going to be buying, using, and adopting all this tech into their lives.
Just as previous generations were shaped by the times they grew up in, the same holds true for today
A number of different factors have coalesced to influence and impact the minds of the newest drivers of culture and consumerism (Gen Z), as well as the group that immediately succeeds them (Generation Alpha).
For example, Gen Z is the most well-educated generation in history, as well as the most racially and ethnically diverse.
They’re also the most globally connected, which has made them acutely aware of what’s happening around the world, as well as more empathetic and change-oriented.
This was evidenced in the 2022 midterm elections, where so many young people showed up at the polls that they canceled out one of the strongest and most consistent voting blocks — people over 65.
Overwhelmingly, they supported Democratic candidates who agree with them on issues like climate change, gun violence, reproductive rights, racial justice, and LGBTQ rights.
They’re doing the same thing with brands
A popular news topic in recent years has been the latest industry “killed” by Millennials. But if you thought Millennials were industry killers, you have no idea what’s coming.
Picture Greta Thunberg’s Twitter takedown of Andrew Tate on a much larger scale. In other words, things like greenwashing and typical CSR efforts will no longer cut it. Brands that want to survive will need to do better: for the environment, for public health, and for the common good.
Companies that don’t adhere to current environmental codes and even stricter ones in the years to come will simply vanish. — Peter Petermann, Wunderman-Thompson
While Gen Z is actively shaping the political, cultural, and consumptive landscape, it’s Generation Alpha who will be doing so in the years to come
We don’t yet have a clear picture of this generation because they’re literally just children. But they’re on track to be even more well-educated, more tech-savvy, and more focused on solving problems than their predecessors.
Case in point: A recent poll of 7–9-year-olds found that they care more about issues like poverty and climate change than Millennials and Baby Boomers, both when they were their age, and now.
Their relationship and familiarity with technology will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen
Again, while it’s too early to make any definitive predictions, we know that Generation Alpha will have unprecedented access to the most advanced technology in existence.
We’re not talking about smartphones or gaming consoles either; we’re talking AI, robots, and other types of autonomous tech that are almost impossible to imagine within the context of our daily lives.
So far, all accounts point to them utilizing it to create solutions to the world’s biggest problems, designing a more compassionate society, and building a better future.
Up until now, we’ve looked at the technological mega-shift that’s coming, as well as the people who will be most affected by it
The last piece of the puzzle is to factor in how new developments in media, communication, and the Internet itself — i.e. Web 3 — will shake things up even more.
Just in case you’re not familiar with the evolution of the Internet, I’ve made it easy for you:
Web 3 is obviously great news for users and content creators, but for brands and advertisers, it’s somewhat problematic; after all, they’ve grown accustomed to having unprecedented access to all that sweet, sweet customer data. That’s where personalization comes into play.
The value exchange: Personalization in return for data
People will likely agree to some form of data-sharing, provided that what they get in return is hyper-personalized and hyper-relevant (basically everything they want to see anyway, without having to search for it).
This will include content, ads, product recommendations, and entertainment. For example, instead of endlessly searching on Netflix, imagine being served up with suggestions that are exactly what you’re looking for.
Consumers are expecting pervasive personalization in all experiences, especially content and commerce. By 2030 it won’t just be an expectation, it will be a reality. — Aaron Goldman, CMO of 4C Insights
Bots to the rescue
Making things even easier, a significant amount of brand and consumer communication will likely be bot-to-bot, with personal digital assistants interfacing directly with brand chatbots and virtual customer service agents.
Imagine Siri, Google, or Alexa, but on steroids. Our virtual assistants will act as valets, helpers, and intermediaries, taking over more and more of our menial tasks — even purchasing decisions.
In general, we need to be prepared for a massive shift in both technology and consumer psychology
The transition to Web 3 ─ and ultimately the metaverse ─ will be less a technological transformation and more of a psychological one.
The decentralization of everything from platforms to hardware to software will allow for technology that supports, rather than hinders, the human experience. Instead of tech for tech’s sake, or tech for profit’s sake, think of it as tech for humanity’s sake.
Although it’s almost impossible to fathom in the current climate of negativity and woe, we are on the precipice of a seismic transformation that stands to alter every single aspect of our lives.
Several distinct yet interrelated elements are coming together, namely:
- The maturation of several new advanced technologies
- A new generation with unprecedented tech acumen (and a determination to utilize it for good)
- A new media landscape built on user-centricity and openness
The cumulative effect will usher in a radical new future that is unlike anything we have ever witnessed.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you.