How will future generations perceive us?

21 Comments

We often refer to generations and eras of the distant past with sweeping generalisations. I was wondering what perception you think people in the future will have of us. What will be remembered for? What, if any, generalisations will be used to define us? Will their view of us be negative or positive, etc., in your opinion?

Depends on the discussion 10
Religion 4
Treatment of the planet 12
Civil Rights 2
Economy 2
Other 1
Culture 1
There's so much information about us, that this won't be a problem 2
All of the above 5
Politics 2
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Comments ( 21 )
  • Unimportant
    10 years ago

    We'll be perceived as cynical and apathetic for the most part, I think.

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  • Anime7
    10 years ago

    One thing is for sure about the future generation. A lot of them will probably listen to One Direction and Taylor Swift while saying to themselves "Man, I was born in the wrong decade."

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    • NormalIsOverratedBeANinja
      10 years ago

      By that you're implying One Direction is like the Beatles of the 21st century. The old bands girls obsess over now have staying power because they were actually good.

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      • Anime7
        10 years ago

        ....
        *looks around awkwardly
        I retract my post.
        *hangs head in shame and disillusionment

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  • EdgeFencer
    10 years ago

    Yup we definitely wrecked this planet in such a short period of time. It will be called the "no one gave a fuck" era

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  • anti-hero
    10 years ago

    Nary a body shall recall us on that morrow. For the Earth shalt not tarry for ye.

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  • thegypsysailor
    10 years ago

    Your generation will probably be remembered as the last generation that could have saved the planet from extreme pollution and saved the way of life in the United States, but didn't do anything because of apathy.
    If INN is any indication, you are all too depressed, sexually confused and idiotically moronic to get off your computers long enough to even save your own lives.
    At 66 I'm really glad I won't be around to see the havoc your generation is going to wreak on this planet.

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  • q25t
    10 years ago

    The vast majority of future people will likely see us as stupid for all of the above reasons.

    Societies change and develop in a short enough time frame that even recent memory can show us this is true. Look at racism. As recently as 50 years ago, racism was prevalent and accepted in many circles. Now, racists are looked at as stupid, illogical, etc. The same may happen for the gay rights movement.

    Treatment of the planet will also be a rather large reason for looking at us like nincompoops from the backwards past. People never seem to take into account people of the past not having all of the technologies of the day readily available. With some green energy available now, I think people in the future will find us stupid for not using these technologies, no matter their current practicality.

    Religion seems likely as well. The Internet seems to be a driving force behind destroying most major religions. If this trend continues, future generations will likely see us as we do the Greeks now, worshipping obviously false gods and believing ridiculous things. Whether or not other religions will have taken hold is another question.

    I'm not sure how economics and politics will be viewed in the future as they haven't really developed as much in the recent past. I doubt things will ever change. Government will suck and there will be the conservatives and liberals.

    So either stupid or they will actually have a good grasp of history and will judge us accurately, which wouldn't be much better than stupid.

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    • Anonymous Post Author
      10 years ago

      Fantastic comment! Glad to see some really well thought out answers. Recently you've been writing the best comments on my posts, so thank you for that!

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  • SuperBenzid
    10 years ago

    I think future generations will see us as a continuation of the imperialist policies that came before.

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    • Anonymous Post Author
      10 years ago

      Definitely the most thought-provoking comment on this post. Thanks!

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  • TheGasManCometh
    10 years ago

    I voted religion - that has GOT to go! Will take a while, though - and the planet may not last that long (my second choice).

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  • handsignals
    10 years ago

    They will hate us for fucking up the planet.

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  • anonymous9250
    10 years ago

    Open minded having the first black president and legalizing gay marriage

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  • TweedRanger
    10 years ago

    Reality TV and shit music. That's what will define our generation.

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    • Anonymous Post Author
      10 years ago

      You know, reality TV was exactly what my first thought was. I'm genuinely surprised at how the results have turned out. I thought culture would be the most voted, because that's mainly what we've used to define the decades that came before us. Although, maybe the further in the future it gets, the more simplistic the generalisation becomes and all those (what, to us, are distinct) decades get blurred together and it goes beyond culture. Who knows!

      I don't think our music is particularly shit in comparison to some stuff that came before (and has since been forgotten about, for the obvious reasons). Perhaps we will be remembered for how commercial we are, so to speak. Consumerism and all that.

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  • Holzman67
    10 years ago

    narcissistic neurotic assholes, probably

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  • suckonthis9
    10 years ago

    Treatment of the Planet, but not in a positive context.

    We are ALL, presently, far, far too greedy and wasteful, per capita, and we are also generally poor land (environmental) custodians, generally; but a few of us try.

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  • BloodRedAndTrue
    10 years ago

    well currently probably complacent, condescending.

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  • GoraIntoDesiGals
    10 years ago

    Wow they had motorised vehicles and even some that could fly?
    The environmentalist nazis will have forced everyone to use horse and cart again by then. To "save" a fucking piece of rock floating on molten iron.

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    • Anonymous Post Author
      10 years ago

      As if! People would never be so selfless!

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