Ten Years, Ten Predictions. 2

Pic courtesy Si1very, Flickr

 

For the first Ten Years, Ten Predictions post, see here.

So. Given the above predictions, what ELSE can I say I knew was going to happen?

1) CCTV will have more varied use

The UK is currently the most spied-upon country in the world, with more cameras per person than any other country in the world. This is supposed to be for our own safety, but I expect another use will emerge soon: vanity.

Video footage of ourselves is information: information about us. Where we were, what we were wearing and what we were doing is recorded all of the time. The Data Protection Act states that “individuals, who the data relates to, have various rights to receive on request details of the processing relating to themselves.” 

So, if we are caught on CCTV (and facial recognition technology is in use, which it will be soon) we will have a right to search for ourselves on this public footage. We’ll then be able to upload scenes of ourselves onto Facebook and show all our friends that cartwheel we did outside the bar at 2am.

2) I.T. will continue to alter the opportunities for employment

Most offices are adapting to changing technology. Employees, in at least one office I know, will record dictations and send the MP3 file via email to admin to be typed up. The next development will be the computer transferring the sound to text as the dictation is made. The administrator then will only need to check the grammar and formatting of the article, thus reducing the reliance upon admin teams.

3) Public transport will use satellite navigation.

You’re stood at a bus stop in the middle of nowhere. How long will you wait before giving up? No need to guess in the future. And no need for printed timetables either. Each bus stop will have a satellite transmitter/receiver, as will each bus. The LCD display will tell you exactly how far away your next bus is and how long you’ll be waiting. As most light rail systems like Docklands in London and Manchester’s Metrolink already use this, we can expect buses to implement this in the next 12 months.

4) Working from home will be more structured

This more relaxed method of working is currently rife with distractions- no working atmosphere, the kitchen stocked with nibbles, no presence of authority stopping you from slacking off and cruising Facebook endlessly. The British office-worker’s home will be split into two sections, with a study for work separate to the rest of the house. This study’s access is controlled not by the homeowner (or renter, as will be more likely) but by the employer. More people will be encouraged to take this option to ease traffic congestion and reduce emissions.

This will, of course, affect people’s behaviour. The social aspect of working with others will be under fire as their contact with others is reduced.

5) Libyan women will gain more rights

Currently Libya has the lowest divorce rate in the world, with 0.24 divorces per 1000 marriages.  Now that Gadaffi is dead, along with his regime, democracy is gradually being implemented throughout the country. As women’s rights steadily thrive, over time we will see the country’s divorce rate rise.

6) Dating will require spontaneity

Time is already a precious commodity. People have commitments- people work, people raise kids on their own, and people have aging family members to look after. If you meet someone and you like them, you can’t be playing for the long game. You might not see them again for weeks. Sex will happen faster, and it will mean less. As our lives will be busier, most of us will either act immediately or be using calendars on our phones during conversations to arrange dates weeks in advance.

7) Advertising space will be available everywhere

Every public wall, footpaths, floors- even holograms projected in the sky will offer a place for businesses to promote themselves. This will seem radical for a few weeks, but the novelty will wear of quickly and the public will continue to ignore the majority of advertising.

8) PSE- Personal and social education in the UK will be emphasised

This subject will be developed into a solid qualification to match the GCSE subjects, complete with coursework and exams. As it stands, the subject has developed marginally since I studied it in 1998. 

Nothing could be more important than the health and safety of the next generation, and education needs to reflect this. This subject will include boxing training. A sport with its roots in the UK, it is an activity that is perfect for fitness and fat-burning- factors that will be more increasingly more necessary as the obesity rates in the UK's children spiral further out of control.

9) We will be able to watch any film, any time.

When I was a teen, we had a dodgy little “Take One” video shop for renting movies. It’s closed down now, partly because DVDs are so cheap to buy. Another factor forcing rental shops to close nationwide: an online business called Netflix now provides films online for a small rental fee. Just watch what you want, when you want, as much as you want with no late fees. Having talked to a few people who use it, it seems apparent that Netflicks’ range isn’t spectacular. Surely if the business is ran online, in this digital age, every film ever made should be available. Ideally, you search for a film title, it’s there. Search for an actor, and his filmography is there in full, and all of those films are available to download. Same goes for directors, producers etc.

10) Nostalgia will die

Youtube gives us every old song from our youth. Our Facebook friends are embarrasing us by uploading old photos. Any book you read in school, you can buy on Amazon. As the years go by, more and more information like this is being uploaded to the internet. In short, nothing new will ever disappear from public access, so nothing can ever come back to us reminding us of “the good old days”.

What are your predictions? Type them below- before they happen.