A newspaper in 1924 predicted what life would be like in 2024 – we’re impressed
Hiyah ZaidiPublished Jan 23, 2024, 12:42pm|Updated Jan 24, 2024, 4:01pmComment
Way back in 1924, a popular trend in newspapers was to predict what life would be like in 100 years’ time – i.e. today.
And surprisingly, some are not too far from the truth.
The sometimes accurate, sometimes outlandish clippings were shared on X by Paul Fairie, a researcher at the University of Calgary.
One that’s very recognisable is the city of the future.
‘Automobiles travelling on speedways through the centre of town’, ‘ever-moving sidewalks’ and ‘motorcars increasing and multiplying indefinitely’ all definitely came true.
Less so is the idea that those multiplying cars would bring about the extinction of the horse.
Last year, a YouGov poll found that more than a quarter of people in the UK have tattoos. We reckon this one has come true, as it was anticipated that ‘debutantes will dye their skin all the colours of the rainbow’, with an expectation that hair would follow suit, much like a ‘Victorian debutante concealed her personality under voluminous hoops and draperies’.
And pity those listening to the radio in 1924, when it was pretty dull apparently, because in another prediction, it was said ‘Americans will laugh at radios’. For 2024, it’s not just radio that bringing the LOLs, but also podcasts, which continue to soar in popularity.
One that’s pretty much there is a longer life expectancy, where we would live to be 100 years old, and 75 years would be considered as young.
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Two that definitely came true are blocks of flats that are 100 stories tall, and family albums made of videos instead of photographs.
A prediction that sadly hasn’t hit the mark – ‘movies will bring about world peace’ as people will establish a brotherhood but Hollywood has not yet accomplished a universal language or eliminated conflict from the civilised world.
And while adorably optimistic, that is far from the most outlandish.
Some of the stranger predictions involve beds flinging children out of bed in the morning, people hopping from planet to planet as easily as we soar through the sky now (we wish), flying clothes and men’s legs withering away from underuse, Wall-E style.
Oh, and diamond engagement rings should have lost their allure by now, being replaced with hundreds of pounds of sugar.
benandsteve.com 
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