The world began to go digital during the early 2000s. When Facebook was first launched for the public in 2004, it began transforming the world into a global village. Today, internet users connect with their friends and family through Facebook. Home-based entrepreneurs, start-ups and even established multinational corporations engage with their current and potential customers through this social networking website. The emergence of Google Talk in 2005 ensured that people from across the world could talk without any glitches – and that too while remaining connected online through Wi-Fi or network data. This reduced the communication gap individuals and companies were facing. The launch of WhatsApp in 2009 considerably changed how we interact every day. Today, people seldom use SMS but use WhatsApp to communicate, send audio clips and video footage. Skype, launched in 2003 and Zoom (2011) are enabling people to make video calls. Google Meets and Hangouts, launched in 2013, also guaranteed that people could stay connected through video calls.
There was a time when such apps, online hangout and meeting places were considered a far-fetched idea. However, today they have become a reality. While the customers and the public considered these applications to be a dream or a hallucination three decades ago, the companies were doing their research for years. People have predicted how the future would look like in many ways. Some were thought to have psychic powers while others were thought to be making a fool out of the world. However, the predictions made by The Simpsons – an American animated sitcom airing since 1989 – has been on the spot. This sitcom is known for predicting the launch of products and services years before they are actually made available for the public. For instance, in the episode, “Lisa’s Wedding” (1995), Lisa’s fiance makes a phone call through his wristwatch. It was not until 19 years later when Samsung Galaxy Gear was launched. Furthermore, in the episode “Future-Drama” (2005), Marge uses a camera to take a picture that turns into a cake. It was nine years later when the first 3D printed food becomes a reality. If this is not enough, the episode from 1994 titled “Homer and Apu” shows Homer wearing a hat with a hidden camera in it. Twenty years later the world is introduced to the GoPro camera that athletes, mountaineers, drivers and others can install on their helmet or any other place for a hands-free recording. Interestingly, during the episode, “Lisa on Ice” (1994), Doplh writes something on his Apple Newton, a personal digital assistant. The words are auto-corrected. This episode was aired when people did not even know what an auto-correct feature was. The auto-correct was launched no sooner than 2005.
Movies produced in Hollywood have also been popular for predicting the future
Movies produced in Hollywood have also been popular for predicting the future. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) showed space tourism. Elon Musk and Richard Branson are working on it. The Star Trek franchise has shown cellular phones, video conferencing, tablets, hand-held communication devices decades before they appear in the market. In 1982, the movie Airplane II: The Sequel showed full-body scanners installed at an airport. Also released in 1982, Blade Runner, showed gigantic billboards displaying advertisements and messages. The Terminator (1984) showed military robots and drones surveying the human population. Back to the Future Part II (1989), has a scene with children wearing glasses through which they are interacting as well. The Google Glass, however, was not introduced until 2013. In 1990, Total Recall shows self-driving cars while Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990) has a high-tech skyscraper comprising automatic electronic gadgets, much like the smart home technology used today.
It seems the authorities of the world including governments, research companies, corporations and establishments were using the media, including animation, sitcoms and movies, to train us on how to live a digital life. The way the world’s population has transferred to the work-from-home setting during this self-quarantine period because of the Coronavirus scare is unprecedented. Teachers are taking online classes while professionals are connecting with peers through Skype or Zoom. It seems as if we – the tech-savvy population – know exactly how to work from home. While the freelancers were attuned to such a setting, the students and office-going professionals easily began completing their official work from home and began sending files and documents using emails and file transfer applications.
The writer is an independent researcher, author and columnist