does anyone think the more simple pre-internet times will influence the next generation? i happen to think as the youth mature, they will long for a time where technology wasn't as prevalent as it is today. with their clout in sheer number generation-wise (the echo boom is the largest in birth rate since the baby boomers) they may actually succeed in pulling this off. Service providers and marketers will catch on to this trend, and as technology becomes more sophisticated it'll become less widespread, yet more efficient. (an example being not needing 10,000 gadgets to carry around, instead having 1 all in one device that does it all)  Kind of like pre-1996 times.

I've thought about this too, and I hope it does.

I think "longing for your childhood" or even before you were born (as opposed to the more traditional teens and 20s) is something that's more common now. Once these things become so common that they're like standards (the Internet is probably there or very close to it, almost joining the television, radio and phones) I bet people will want to experience what life was like before they dominated. Probably in the early '10s.

Product convergence will be whats its all about, kind of how the blackberry killed off the palm pilot, it'll probably do the same to the mp3 player. I think this type of behavior will make more sophisticated, widespread technology simple again like it was circa 1991-96 or even before that. Even in your car with satellite radio despite how "advanced" it is, cars are now offering it converged with AM and FM without having to install a pricey device. And in 2009 most TVs are switching to digital recievers, another example of convergence.

The internet has definitely reached the point where its now a standard, and not so much a new thing anymore. The same goes for social networking like myspace and facebook, their all pretty much standards. In most respects, the digital revolution is over.

^Good points, I actually never quite thought of it that way, but you may be right. Having just a few multiple devices, even if they're advanced, will actually make it seem simpler. The 1997/'98-2005 time will probably be viewed as "cluttered" technologywise, just because of so much co-existing.

The computer/Internet in a way has already done that. At first, I was resistant at the thought of it replacing boomboxes, etc. as a main way to listen to music (I'm quite old-school at heart). Yet I've realized it's actually very conveinent, especially since I have around 2,000 songs on my playlist. Although I do listen to regular radio and cds/tapes, it's just another alternative.

It may ultimately prove to be even better, once mobile music takes off it'll be like you and your friend hanging out in your den and all of a sudden a song comes on the TV you really like, you take out your phone and just download it, right there without a computer.

I think the 2010s will be the last decade where technology continues to advance.

I think the 2010s will be the last decade where technology continues to advance.


2010 will see the Sony Playstation 50
2020 will see the Sony Playstation 900
2030 will see the Sony Playstation 3210493214

Technology will always continue to advance, so the way I see it, rather than waste money to keep up with it, I'll stick with my Atari, Beta Machine and my wooden Abacus :D

I think the 2010s will be the last decade where technology continues to advance.


Your right, and it won't be so much advancement as it will plateau. I think there will always be some advancement of technology but it will be comparatively minor to what we saw circa 1997-2005.

^ I agree.

Loosely related, but I had another thought concerning mobile music. Do you think the music video as an art form might come back in the '10s or at some other point? Sure they still exist now, but seem very "by the numbers" of all the ones I've watched. The last notable ones were probably "Stacy's Mom" or Avril Lavigne's early ones.

They might not return to the golden age (c. 1983-1992), but I hope they bring back some elements from the Michael Jackson/Phil Collins/Tom Petty/Duran Duran/Van Halen era. Like the movie-esque themes, or cutting dialogue and action into the song along with extra scenes before and after the song.

Videos are definitely going to play a big part. While not necessarily another golden age, there will definitely be a rebirth. I think we'll be going back to the days of lengthy intros, plots and top notch professional choreography. Theres gonna be a lot more money coming in which will mean more spending power for videos.

You're definitely on to something. I read an article not too long ago about how teens nowadays consider email a thing of the past...they just simply text message.

Things will continue to get smaller and more integrated, that's certain.

I think the only people though who will long for the past (pre 1996 anyways) are those who were alive and remember well the transition from the old world to the new world. Anybody who was 10/11 years old or older in the mid 90's knows what I'm talking about.

I also think social networking has peaked. Ultimately I think text messaging is going to be the dominant form of communication. As cell phones continue to become portable media devices the computer is going to get less and less time spent on it.

The music industry seemed like they didn't know what they were doing, but they actually made a brilliant move, wait for convergence, then, strike while the turf is hot. Mobile music and filesharing are going to be what revitalizes the industry. I'd argue file sharing may even die out, mobile music could become so big.

^ In a sense, that's almost like how landlines and payphones have decreased in popularity because of cellphones.

Excellent point about the industry, I wonder if you're right. Even though mass tech wasn't nearly as advanced in, say 1999, something like convergence wouldn't have been unthinkable to predict once the internet started getting big. I wonder if it was in the back of CEO's minds all along, but it was something planned out behind the scenes until it got big enough to take off.