The 1970s had hippies, Woodstock and the Vietnam war. The 1980s had shoulder pads, MTV and Wall Street greed. The 1990s had grunge, Monica Lewinsky and the dot.com boom. The 2000s had 9/11, Facebook and the recession.
So, with 2020 around the corner and the 2010s rapidly drawing to a close, what will the past decade be remembered for? With so many massive pop culture moments and technology advancements, the 2010s was an incredibly impactful era that inarguably changed the world as we know it forever. Below are a few things I predict that this decade will come to be remembered for.
Social and Political Evolution
Throughout the 2010s, the social landscape was forever changed, with major milestones including the national legalization of gay marriage and statewide legalization of marijuana, as well as the widespread impact of the #MeToo movement. Additionally, the election of President Trump will undoubtably be remembered as one of the most defining moments in U.S. political history. In 2010 the idea of a president tweeting insults at other world leaders would be unimaginable – in 2019, it’s a daily reality.
Millennials
Millennials were at the center of almost every major cultural conversation, from social media and technology to jobs and the economy (not to mention the seemingly endless coverage of all of the things they allegedly ‘killed’). Businesses were forced to rethink their approach to company culture in order to attract and retain millennial employees who prioritized flexibility and fulfillment far more than past generations. Throughout the decade, this generation’s preferences dominated trends and had immense cultural impact.
The Rise of the Smartphone
With most of us now carrying a mini-computer in our pockets every day, the world is now more connected than ever, which has had a profound impact in both good and bad ways. Ultimately, while we all have access to endless information at our fingertips, it’s become increasingly difficult to determine what information is real. The rise of the smartphone can also be equated to the rise of “fake news.”
Amazon Prime
Amazon’s domination is likely to continue well into the 2020s and beyond, and will no doubt be remembered as one of the most defining inventions of this decade.
The Death of Traditional Media
Printed newspapers, periodicals, broadcast television, and radio are all fading. And while digital music way predates the 2010s, it took until this decade for pop stars to stop ‘selling’ albums. They aren’t tallying CD sales anymore, they’re counting unique streams.
