So I was watching a documentary on rollercoasters today, and I realized the pure bliss, yet pure terror of what a rollercoaster really is. For any thrill seeker, being taken hundreds of feet into the air and plummeted straight down, into a loopy-de-loop of screaming and grabbing the seat in front of you like its no ones business is a ton of fun. However, at the same time, the danger of knowing that the track could break at any moment, and you might not make it up that next hill doesn’t give someone quite the same enthusiasm.
Similarly, as I was thinking about technology in the year 2035, I realized that it could also go both ways. When I first thought of how fast the development of technology was moving, I became excited about what life will be like in 26 years. Just 26 years ago, in 1983, color television was a new sensation, and Sony was just coming out with the first compact disc player! Before I talk about the utopia that I see as the year 2005, lets take a quick look at our world just 26 years ago:
As is made VERY obvious in this short film, technology has skyrocketed since this time. In 1983, the rollercoaster had just begun, and the trip up the steep hill before the fall had only just begun. Looking at technology now, we see a huge advancement. We have HD television, Blu Ray players, DVD, VCR’s, ipods, texting, Skype, media convergence, touch screen everything, BlackBerrys, Instant Messaging, and SO much more. Some people will say that, because of the increase in technology, and decrease in personal relationships, that our world has already begun its steady decline down that steep slope on our technology rollercoaster. Others however see this new technology as a great addition to our ever changing and ever stabilizing world. Finally, lets look at how I see things.
Lets Keep Going Uphill
Hopefully, the year 2035 will be a much better, safer, and more economic world. In my eyes, I envision a healthier planet made possible by new types of energy that can replace fossil fuels that are harming our atmosphere today. I see bluer skies, greener grass, more brilliant flowers, and less smoke crowding our skies.
Another thing I hope to see is better medicine. Advancements in medicine are happening every day. I see hospitals as a place of joy rather than a place of sadness. People go into the hospital knowing they will be cured rather than expecting death. Cures for diseases such as cancer, autism, diabetes, asthma, everything will be available through new technology and ideas.
Finally, in my utopian society, technological advancements will open doors to new forms of travel. Teleport systems will be established, and cars will be virtually fuel-free. Computers will be more compact, have better and more advanced functions, and viruses will be eliminated. There are so many things that could contribute to a happier and healthier 2035, but now to the steep downfall of things. What if technology continued to grow, but instead of helping the world, it just made things worse?
The Steep Decline
The year 2035 could, as I said above, be an ugly one. Already, people are beginning to rely solely on technology for communication. In this world, I could see people sitting around computers all day. Learning from computers rather than going to school, talking to people on computers, having things delivered by robots and never stepping a foot into the outside world.
I can imagine people thinking that everything they need is at their fingertips so why would they need to go out of the house. They have social networking, they have newspapers, internet, texting, news, television at their fingertips; Why would they need anything else? Americans everywhere would rely solely on technology for everything they do. Obesity rates would skyrocket, and employment rates would plummet. No one would need anyone to work because they have technology to do it for them for much less cost. Here is an article that explains a similar problem that Americans face today in 2009. Imagine what happens if this continues.
My Life in 2035: The Real Rollercoaster
In the year 2035, I will be a successful broadcast journalism. Whether the world turns upside down or continues on a steady incline of success in technology, broadcasting is a career that I know I can find work in. People will always want to watch other people experience and speak about things that they cannot see personally. Whether I’m on a crime scene, talking about the latest news, or traveling the world, I’ll be doing something that someone out there will be interested in. That is such an awesome feeling. Knowing that whether the world sucks or not, that I’ll still have a job.
I’m sure that although the field of communications will be drastically changed, I will still have a part in it. Communications is my passion, and I know it is where I belong. Maybe, I will be a hologram in everyone’s house saying the daily news or broadcasting a talk show. Maybe I will be busy teleporting from place to place learning about cultures and telling the world about it through a new technology. I’m not sure exactly what I will be doing, however one thing I’m sure of, is that technology, and the changes of it, will have a huge part in my future. I will just make the best of it, and ride my rollercoaster until the very end. 
