Thoughts on the cultural evolution

Here are some of my thoughts on the future of culture and identity.

Language will evolve 

I believe the barrier of language will disappear and it will become more of your style of communicating, the way you think, and your values, that will differ us.  Technology will start easily translating the basics, whilst at the same time the tidal wave will push people to learn English for business and travel.. India got there some time ago and China is already making leaps in getting their population to have English as their second language. English schools (teaching as a second language )is one of the fastest if not the fastest-growing industry.

A global culture

I will think we will see a greater merger of national cultures online; currently, it is very English-speaking American.  We already see it happening with entertainment.  Bit by bit I see more trends coming out of smaller countries in terms of word usage, behaviors, etc. Perhaps merger is the wrong word, as I feel that it will be something different and more complex than any one national culture. I would also see a reaction to protect national identities and not become American, this could lead to several powerful trade blocks

Identities will Fragment

Many people live in a binary world, and shop in binary stores.  I think we will see a true representation of us as people appear i.e. not just Man and Woman, but a lot of colours in between and beyond, not just for our Physical Sex, but for our gender, sexuality, and things we have not got words for yet

Evolving communities

A lot of products and services are still built in a Western methodology in terms of processes and systems. Of course, Japan has already influenced this in certain sectors e.g. cars and consulting. I think we will start to learn more alternate ways of encouraging community and collaboration from the rest of the Asian countries.

I also think we will see more subcultures emerge, some die, and some not. To some degree, you can see this in Reddit, where communities exist in  threads or in Slack in a channel

Cultural experience

For us lucky few who were here and now, who could benefit from cheaper flights, which allowed some of us to travel around our country or even the world.  Exposure to other cultures I think deepens understanding for those willing to learn and may also give us a greater appreciation of our culture.  Of course, it is all about the experience, who you meet, and the events that occur whilst you are in that country. Serendipity really.

Expressions of culture

Through software and the advert better quality camera, whilst still becoming cheaper – Film has dropped in terms of cost, other countries are able to enter the film industry again and reveal their thoughts, fears, and dreams to us.  At the same time, our ‘tolerance’ for low-quality production has risen. Allowing a rise of new media producers to use smartphones and free software to create something.

Distribution of culture

Starting with the Internet we have greater access to each other, it helped globalise culture distribution.  Successful open global platforms have increased our ability to share such as YouTube. Even global closed systems such as Xbox live or iTunes are allowing us to explore new avenues of communication and access media once hard find such as music.

Transparency

We demand more transparency from everything, governments, corporations, food, etc.  I don’t see this declining in fact I see it having a massive impact on the future of business.

Immigration

If you live in the first world immigration is occurring, in fact, there is already competition to get the entrepreneurs of the future, the best skilled or the hardest workers.  Countries where there are older than younger people are seeing their budgets slowly shift tax dollars to health and social care. Combining this with a reduction (in the richer nations) of childbirth means they will run out of money to support their older population.  Some countries are thus trying to make it easier for young people to move to their country.  I think within ten years countries will start paying immigrants to move there.  I think this trend will mean people will start to move countries more often and be exposed to multiple countries in depth.

In conclusion

I think these trends will take decades, and probably a lot of pain. It may be sped up by a global tragedy, an AI takeover, or an alien invasion.  If we don’t get wiped out by us or others.  The end result I see is one human race with a greater understanding of itself and each other.  Personally, I believe in Infinite diversity and infinite possibility as it will give us a greater opportunity to survive as a race.

What do you think or feel?