I wrote about a future that was highly integrated into technology. Houses had become highly automated, cars could use solar power, and there were virtual reality schools. Education would be highly accessible to almost anyone in the world—even in the galaxy. People had figured out how to harness more energy and resources, moved up to 2 on the Karshadev scale, and terraformed Mars. As a whole, I have high hopes for the future and a positive outlook on humanity’s future endeavors.
What can humanity do to make sure the future I wrote about happens? Society really has to get over their differences and work together. We need to collectively prioritize the good of all humanity, how ethical our actions are, how well we treat our planet, and how much we want to advance our technology. I think there is a significant stigma toward technology integration. Stories such as 1984 by George Orwell or Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury are a few among the well-known stories that pose a theoretically daunting, technology-ridden future. But I think if we do it right, robots will surely not bring an end to the world. However, humanity needs to have a common goal. For example, during the pandemic, Covid-19 vaccines and rapid test technology advanced extremely quickly because everyone was working to find a solution. Similarly, humanity needs to be working on the same problem. (Even if the solution has to be incentivized by money.) Society has a lot of power potential if we work together as a whole.
Secondly, I think that humanity needs to knock itself off of its pedestal. I believe that humanity (for the most part) has a superiority complex over the rest of nature, which justifies many of the unethical activities we partake in. About 1 million plant and animal species are currently threatened by extinction—more than ever before in the history of humanity. Since 1990, the world has lost almost a billion acres of forest. Half of the world’s coral reefs have died in the past thirty years. In 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans. Greenhouse gas emissions have doubled since 1980, which has raised average temperatures by 0.7 degrees Celsius. This is humanity’s current effect; we are not peacefully coexisting with the rest of the world. By believing that humans have inherent superiority, we can believe that the Earth belongs to us. As is evident in our act of draining the Earth of its resources, this is the reality of our worldview. We continue to take advantage of nature to fuel our own agenda. We prioritize ourselves. We do not necessarily need to act as animals do, but finding a way to function without affecting the Earth is becoming increasingly desirable. This may seem irrelevant, but if we want to advance and create a better future, we have to protect our home planet first.
What role can I have in making that future happen? Currently, I feel like I can’t do much from where I’m standing. I’ll probably be dead by the time humanity (hopefully) decides to save itself from disaster. But I suppose I can vote for political leaders whose ideals align with my own. I can be mindful of my carbon footprint and recycling. I currently use a Google extension called Tab for a Cause that raises money for things like solving world hunger, creating a future in which all the world’s children can pursue a quality education, and planting trees each time I open a new tab. I can educate my own peers. I can write and create art on the subject. But I don’t really feel like I can make a large difference on my own. I would have to inspire my peers or join existing groups around me in order to create real change.
