A researcher at the University of Calgary, Paul Fairie, shared interesting content from a 1924 newspaper on X, formerly Twitter. The page stated some predictions about what the world would be like in 100 years time— today, that is.
Some of the speculations have been surprisingly accurate, like the “automobiles traveling on speedways through the center of town, ever-moving sidewalks, and motorcars increasing and multiplying indefinitely.”
More predictions from the ‘20s newspaper
Horses will no longer exist pic.twitter.com/eBGjp42Agu
— Paul Fairie (@paulisci) January 1, 2024
The newspaper content reads, “Debutantes will dye their skin all the colors of the rainbow,” and according to a YouGov poll, more than a quarter of UK residents have tattoos. It also anticipated that radios would become a joke to Americans, and that has proven true to an extent as people now opt for podcasts and streaming services.
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They also hit the bull’s eye by envisioning a block of flats a hundred stories tall and family albums made of videos instead of pictures. Life expectancy was another aspect they were hopeful for, noting that people would live up to 100 on average, and 75 was considered young.
Rather bizarre hopes
People from the ‘20s also assumed some things that have yet to be achieved— or simply seem impossible. They thought “movies will bring about world peace” by now, and as optimistic as that sounds, society is still divided by culture, language, and conflicting differences, which Hollywood has yet to consolidate for universally acceptable films.
They also predicted the invention of beds that would fling kids out of bed in the morning and that people would go from planet to planet as easily as flight travel is today. Flying clothes were on the list, as well as men’s legs becoming atrophied due to underuse. In addition, it was predicted that women would be engaged with pounds of sugar rather than diamond rings.