3 Reasons Why The Future Is Better Than You Think It Is…

I admit it. I get scared for the future every now and then.

In this cocktail of tumultuousness - a mighty fragile political climate, an even more fragile environmental climate and a slew of scandals that reduced our trust in the oh-so-rapidly moving rate of technological progression - it’s easy to worry about the future. And that’s not even taking into account what may be going on in your life personally.

But I’m a futurist, and through writing about what I love on here, I get small glimpses into the future - be it through my emails or blog post research. So, instead of giving you some highly polished piece, I thought I’d just “break kayfabe” (as it’s called in pro wrestling), break down that wall between my keyboard and you, and just tell you three things that make me optimistic for the future.

Fair warning, you may see that one, two or all three of these reasons are a little silly and focussed on some nerdy topics. But then again, that’s why you come to a site like New Rising Media.

The digital world is starting to take privacy seriously

And here’s the issue… I really want to like Facebook - the page for NRM is full of highly engaged users. But they make it impossible to do so with boneheaded moves that are a massive threat to the privacy of our own personal data. 

The same can also be said of many of our different connections with the digital world including search (Google), and the devices we use to gain access to the digital space (Huawei). 

Now, finally, it seems like they’re beginning to listen to our concerns. I mean look at what the whole of Mark Zuckerberg’s keynote at this year’s F8 was all about - privacy. Pivoting away from mining user data for advertising purpose, they have introduced a bunch of eCommerce options including the Instagram store and ways to send money privately. This means the runway is clear for true end-to-end encryption for all messages sent across Facebook’s various owned apps. 

It’s a welcome change of pace from one of the world’s most prolific privacy invaders, and a clear sign of the changing times ahead.

Who knows, maybe you may not be a product anymore to social networks.

You’ve got a lot to look forward to in the world of video games

In case you missed it, I did a piece about Google Stadia and how this is a sign for the bright future of gaming - the democratisation of big budget experiences through the Netflix-ification of this industry. 

Many people…were not happy with my story, and fair enough to them too. A headline that dramatic was going to turn a lot of heads on forums, dragging out plenty of fanboys from all sides of the spectrum to viciously defend their champion. “Consoles will live on,” said one commenter. “What about PCs?” Another asked, completely missing the point of my piece.

We’re approaching a point where your choice of console hardware or PC setup will not matter. The only thing that will is the games, and to be fair we’re already on the way there anyway with a big focus on exclusives. While I get people’s initial fears of losing that sense of content ownership over games, I also believe it will be a short-lived one. Many game purchases happen online now anyway, and the people complaining now are the same people who have become comfortable with the same thing happening in music and movies.

To see us move onto a streaming-based system of gaming is incredibly exciting for both the widespread accessibility of AAA games and the discoverability of indie titles. It’s a win-win - just you wait.

We’re taking climate change seriously, and taking people who don’t to task

Yes, the world may be a bit late to this party, but the general opinion on what needs to be done to avert the crisis of climate change has definitely changed. 

You need only look at the increased dialogue surrounding it, the efforts (however small) that retailers are making to reduce their footprint, the fact that the entire world has fallen in love with Sir David Attenborough, to the point he’s making speeches at the UN.

And, speaking personally, my inbox ratio of press releases has slowly shifted in favour of environmental science stories, including one listing the worst offending bottled water brands. For those interested, the worst is Nestlé Pure Life with 10,390 particles of plastic per litre of water.

Don’t get it twisted…

This is not some kind of whitewashing piece. I’m not painting over the cracks forming in our increasingly digital society, and you will see me continue to call out injustices like I have in the past. But it is my hope that you leave here with a glimpse of future positivity. 

The future human has a lot to look forward to.