SCENARIO THREE
Nostalgia reigns supreme
Deciphering truth in an age where media is owned by big tech, and government corruption is endemic, is almost impossible. The population is unable to make informed decisions based on fact. Are we heading into an age of ‘ignorance is bliss’, where corporations and governments go unchecked and facts are ignored for an easy life?
When we considered this, coupled with the increased cost of living, failing economy and constant political upheaval globally, we started looking for answers in the past. One of those answers could be that the climate crisis is to blame, but not in the way we expect. This generation’s acceptance of ‘fact’ without question is enabling a line of thought where the move away from oil and gas, to protect against the climate crisis, is actually to blame for the potential collapse in society. People are starting to believe in the good old days.
This has led to the rise of a ‘benevolent dictator’ leadership style seen in many governments across the world, where seemingly powerful men and women bring together disparate political ideologies of libertarians to disparage those they consider small or weak. These ideologies appeal to an audience who prioritise their individual freedoms and desires more than coming together for the greater good. This leadership style can and has caused significant impact on the global economy.
In fact, this generation probably believes we’re in the golden age of technology and that tech companies are creating products and services that will help them achieve their individual financial and social goals, yet we’re actually further behind than the echo chamber lets them believe. AI is poorly developed and a drain on resources, yet being launched across all platforms and accepted as the norm within a very short space of time. Algorithms allow people to hear from people like them, creating division in society which isn’t just the haves and have-nots but is creating division between people in similar classes through race, gender and sexuality.
As a backdrop, politicians are exacerbating the divisions to create unrest which allows them the space to backtrack on global agreements such as Net Zero Carbon targets. Meanwhile, the population argues among itself, the global conditions needing collaborative agreement are continuing to worsen, and the climate crisis grows ever-more prevalent. With a society built on mistrust, it is easy to cancel NZC targets by simply suggesting the issue isn’t a big deal.
Flora, 35 in 2035
I think we’re all starting to feel a bit stupid now.
We bought into the promised changes; it felt new and exciting and as though someone actually gave a monkey’s about us and what we want rather than simply spending money on things that we don’t need to be part of – such as wars in foreign lands.
But it was a bit shortsighted, huh? I work in technology and we’re constantly battling against negative online comments when our services go down because of overheating. It’s so warm now that my grandparents aren’t able to go out most days. My mum doesn’t remember anything like this from when she was my age. I don’t go out much either – I mostly work from home and it’s so expensive going out to bars, restaurants, even the cinema, so I stay home. I feel lonely and sometimes get upset that my parents were married by my age, and I haven’t had a boyfriend since school.
The lack of social relationships has resulted in a concerningly low birth rate. The backlash against the government’s campaign to encourage women to pop out children has been significant, and it feels as though finally people are coming together to say ‘hold on a minute, this ain’t working’.
It’s about time – the only people I can think of who’ve thrived in this scenario are those who already held the world’s wealth. The tech company leaders have continued to line their pockets, with phone brands diversifying their offerings so that everything in your home is connected and doesn’t work without the other. It’s so frustrating to have to connect my fridge to my phone to get full functionality– I’ve never really understood why but that brand has its hands deep in my pockets now and I’m so frustrated.
I think we’ve gone through a period of trauma freeze – we felt powerless for so long that we bought into an ideology that actually seems to have done more harm than good and now we don’t know which way to turn. Social media is so controlled now that it is even difficult to see what other options are out there. You only ever see what you’ve interacted with before.
It’s not just social; even search is controlled by AI. I hope that there’s a person or group out there who can change this; they’d get my vote.
Ashley Bateson, Head of Sustainability, Hoare Lea
It’s always tempting to say: let’s wind the clock back. It’s fundamental to the human condition to think that things were better when we were younger, when we didn’t have responsibilities and others looked after us. This is why political slogans that promise to take us back to how it was before connect with us emotionally, but in reality the past wasn’t always better.
There was more discrimination and exclusion, and often limits to social mobility that don’t exist now. Technology has been a great asset in improving productivity, giving us access to ideas and outcomes we couldn’t envisage before. But we need to be in control of technology. AI is a great tool when we know how to use it, and when to be selective and critical. We can take advantage of this advancing technical landscape but should remain educated about when it’s right to use.
Needless to say, tech companies must take responsibility for their platforms and inevitably governments must step in and regulate with an eye on protecting wellbeing and social outcomes.
Jay, age 40 in 2050
I think when we look back on 2025-2040, we’ll collectively say: ‘what were we thinking?’ I was only 15 in 2025 but in school we read about previous generations and leaders and realised that the choices my folks had made were wrong. We were ready to rise up.
While we’ve got much kinder leaders now, we’re still feeling the impact of decisions made at the end of the first quarter of the 2000s. Most of the south coast of the UK has been washed away – and actually, we’re grateful that population growth has slowed significantly, because we’re getting squashed by buildings taking over green spaces.
Things aren’t perfect, but I feel much more connected to my community, on a national and local level. We collaborate more – locally, we share food and services to ensure a fair price for all. Nationally, this means that big business has more checks in place to stop excessive profiting on the essentials.
I am concerned about the climate crisis and whether we’ve gone beyond the tipping point for fixing it, but at least we have started to rebuild hope.
Ryan Elliott, Head of Digital Advisory, Hoare Lea
Technology will increasingly be mistrusted and this will form a real barrier to progress. People bringing technology solutions should think about people first and gain a good understanding of the problem they are looking to address, with the hope that if people are well-informed, they will overcome their trust issues.
When technological solutions are deployed without engaging with people first, they risk not being useful which makes them less valuable and successful in the long run. This short-term thinking may initially be good for technology organisations’ bank balances but bad for long-term sustainability, with low benefits for users and therefore low adoption.
There is still the potential for people to leverage technology for good. In the right hands, and with good intentions, it can create and maintain communities, enhance human connection and improve lives.
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