I'm pretty gloomy on the future, so most of my predictions are how a world reacts to the upcoming challenges we face.
1. Distributed Internet - A combination of tech companies that have become too large, and government overreach result in an encrypted and distributed internet. The large companies of the past are not gone, but are slowing becoming irrelevant. Teens, and Gen-Z (zoomers?) will most likely be the first to start adopting. Boomers, and older millennials will be slower to adapt. The large companies are also facing a 2 sided battle as they also battle Washington.
2. World un-united - In the post Trump world, the US no longer operates the infrastructure required for the post-ww2 united world we've been used to. This means countries will have to significantly increase their military spending, and more problematically, they will have to find new markets to export to (since most countries lack a large millennial generation to sell to.) The strong social spending European countries have become used to will start to dry up. The result will be the continuation in more authoritarian populist strong man leaders. As recession, and lack of social spending, combined with increased military spending start to increase, the 2020's will look a lot more like 1930's. Germany will be particularly hard hit.
3. The US starts to become more aware of the Rural/City divide. In the early part of the decade, issues such as gun control will result in increased tension as "Red America" rises up against "Blue America" realizing it has no political power left, and "Blue America" is using it's power to change the things it cares about. Initially these disputes are isolated geographically to a few areas. Likely Virginia, and Washington/Oregon. But it might expand into something bigger... which in my opinion is one of the biggest wildcards of the future.
4. An over leveraged China will stumble, It will be plauged with trade issues, and demographic issues.
5. Software Engineering will split, highly skilled engineers will make more than ever before, but there will be a very large base of newly minted "lower skilled" software devs that make a lot less money.
6. Despite the conversation about immigration probably only gaining in steam, the economic relationship between Mexico and US will only become stronger.
1. Distributed Internet - A combination of tech companies that have become too large, and government overreach result in an encrypted and distributed internet. The large companies of the past are not gone, but are slowing becoming irrelevant. Teens, and Gen-Z (zoomers?) will most likely be the first to start adopting. Boomers, and older millennials will be slower to adapt. The large companies are also facing a 2 sided battle as they also battle Washington.
2. World un-united - In the post Trump world, the US no longer operates the infrastructure required for the post-ww2 united world we've been used to. This means countries will have to significantly increase their military spending, and more problematically, they will have to find new markets to export to (since most countries lack a large millennial generation to sell to.) The strong social spending European countries have become used to will start to dry up. The result will be the continuation in more authoritarian populist strong man leaders. As recession, and lack of social spending, combined with increased military spending start to increase, the 2020's will look a lot more like 1930's. Germany will be particularly hard hit.
3. The US starts to become more aware of the Rural/City divide. In the early part of the decade, issues such as gun control will result in increased tension as "Red America" rises up against "Blue America" realizing it has no political power left, and "Blue America" is using it's power to change the things it cares about. Initially these disputes are isolated geographically to a few areas. Likely Virginia, and Washington/Oregon. But it might expand into something bigger... which in my opinion is one of the biggest wildcards of the future.
4. An over leveraged China will stumble, It will be plauged with trade issues, and demographic issues.
5. Software Engineering will split, highly skilled engineers will make more than ever before, but there will be a very large base of newly minted "lower skilled" software devs that make a lot less money.
6. Despite the conversation about immigration probably only gaining in steam, the economic relationship between Mexico and US will only become stronger.