Every beginning of a New Year draws expectations and predictions for the next 12 months. However, forecasting the rest of the year is accessible for anyone with an internet connection and a knack for statistics. On the other hand, prophesying how the world will look a decade from now is a more difficult challenge.
Ten years from today, technology will impact most of our daily dwellings. Some of these advents are already present, like the electronic payments from Zeta Finance. However, others are still the work of Sci-Fi and versatile imagination. Here are 5 things we can expect from the future within the next decade!
- A Blockchain-Based World
Blockchain technology has been developing remarkably fast in the past 12 years. Many industries and businesses are migrating from the physical world into this virtual space. Furthermore, the advents of the Metaverse and Web 3.0 will make traditional brick-and-mortar enterprises even more useless.
Any entity, including individuals or brands, can have a unique and original avatar on the blockchain. Also, they can use various applications in a secure environment that works on a community accounting system.
- Virtual Commutes
The new, blockchain-based world will allow people to work, study, and engage socially with zero physical commutes. They will do all of these activities online from the comfort of their homes. However, this doesn’t mean that they will remain in the same “environment.”
Through virtual reality, people will “travel” to meeting places. Their designs will resemble workspaces, study rooms, or social venues. These virtual commutes will provide deep immersion into various activities that people share simultaneously, even if they live remotely worldwide.
- Cashless Payments
In 2022, several developed countries are planning to minimize the use of cash. This way, they seek to reduce fraud, money laundering, or evasion. Furthermore, it helps governments and financial institutions better understand assets and the overall economy.
Ten years from now, cashless payments may be the standard way of paying for goods and services. Most businesses will likely introduce e-payment systems and eliminate cash registers. Furthermore, they may only accept digital payments. Therefore, customers will also have to change their purchasing habits and money-saving strategies.
- Carbon Labeling
The ongoing climate emergency requires more effective solutions to reduce global warming and pollution. To this end, many governmental agencies are trying to regulate carbon labeling. In other words, companies may have to list the carbon expenditure they inflict while manufacturing their goods and services. We may know the exact carbon footprint of producing everything from shoes to cars and chocolate bars a decade from now.
- Climate Migration
Lastly, as the global temperature increases from one year to another, some areas of our planet may become uninhabitable. As a result, we may see large communities from the sun-scorching regions around the equator move to cooler areas. This climate migration could impact the world economy and destabilize entire habitats. Hopefully, humanity will have a better understanding and control over climate change by then.