The 2020s are upon us – and we’re really living in the future now. I remember New Year’s Eve 2000, and nobody could have predicted the kind of world that we’re living in now. So, what will change by the 2030s? Here’s 10 things that will disappear by the end of the decade.
10. Cow’s milk
The 2010s really saw the rise of plant-based lifestyles and alternative milks. Long gone are the days where drinking a glass of cow’s milk a day was commonplace. Now, we have what feels like dozens of milk alternatives (soy, almond, oat, coconut, rice, the list goes on), largely due to the rise of vegan diets and the fact that cow’s milk is utterly terrible for the environment. I’d recommend embracing the change on this one – you’re doing something good for yourself and the environment.
9. Cash
I honestly don’t remember the last time I carried cash – and I’m betting you’ll have a hard time remembering too. Cash could very well be obsolete within the next couple of years. In fact, it’s already on its way out. The rise of cryptocurrency and mobile payments, combined with credit and debit cards, means that cash is experiencing a downfall.
8. Charging cables
The days of frustrating, fraying charging cables could very well be in the past by 2030. Thanks to WIFI and Bluetooth, you can charge your phone via wireless charging ports. Admittedly, current charging cables can be a bit of a nightmare, so this is a vast improvement.
7. Keys
We could very soon be saying goodbye to keys: house keys, car keys, locker keys – you name it. Very soon we could be locking and unlocking everything with our phones or watches – which could also eventually be replaced with biometric recognition.
6. Passwords
Passwords are actually pretty inefficient. Most of us have forgotten one at some point, and they’re not actually that secure. The 2020s could very well spell and end to them, as two-factor authentication takes the lead, and biometrics are also on the rise.
5. Big hard drives
Having lots of storage on phones and computers used to be a vital thing. Now, with fast internet access, and cheap cloud storage, that doesn’t matter. For a small fee we can automatically back up all of our data on services like iCloud or Dropbox, and have access over multiple devices
4. Spectacles
Around 75% of the world’s adult population uses some form of vision-correcting product, whether it be glasses or contact lenses. However, they could both become a thing of the past, soon to be replaced by Nano-technology vision-correcting eye drops.
3. Remote controls
Most of us prefer to watch TV on our laptops, or Apple TVs, rather than cable. Now, it looks like remote controls could become a thing of the past. Our smartphones can already do most things for us, soon they’ll be in charge of changing the TV channel. Voice computing could also be an option here – just talk to your TV!
2. Drivers
Self-driving cars, particularly within ride-hailing apps, will become more popular by the end of the decade. Self-driving cars are less privy to human error (for obvious reasons), so they could reduce fatalities on the road. They’re also likely to reduce traffic, as they drive consistently and without distraction.
1. Glaciers
Okay, this is slightly on the more serious side, but very much a reality. Number 1 on the list of the 10 things that will disappear by the end of the decade is glaciers. The world is home to over 400,000 glaciers and ice caps, and they’re melting – quickly. Already, Iceland has said goodbye to Okjökull, it’s first glacier lost to climate change, and others will follow.
In 2019, warm temperatures caused Greenland to lose 12.5 billion tons of ice in one day. If climate change continues as it is, climate change experts predict that Arctic summers could be virtually iceless within the next two decades. 2030 is around the corner, although it may still seem far away, and we’ll be saying goodbye to more of the world’s glaciers unless we put in real effort to halt climate change.
The end of an era(s)
The 2020s will likely bring about a hell of a lot of change for us. From cows milk, to glaciers, things are shaking up, and 2030 is going to look very different to this year. How will all of this play out? Nobody really knows yet – but things are going to be very interesting.
