The Future the Children of 60 Years Ago Feared vs. the Future We Really Have Now

In 1966, the BBC asked a group of schoolchildren to imagine what life would be like around the year 2000 and in the decades that followed. Their answers—captured in this video—were surprisingly gloomy. They spoke of a dull, uninspiring world where life would be boring and joyless. Yet here we are, well into the 21st century, surrounded by computers, smartphones, the internet, artificial intelligence, and countless innovations that make life richer and more connected than ever before. Why, then, were those children so negative about the future? Were their young minds shaped by a biased view of the world around them? And more importantly—are we today, perhaps without realizing it, just as pessimistic about the next 60 years?

💡 Watch the video and share your thoughts!

Your ideas could spark an amazing discussion—and also win you a massive prize.

🏆 Prizes:

1st Place: 200 million points 🥇
2nd Place: 150 million points 🥈
3rd Place: 100 million points 🥉

Yes, you read that right—three winners will be chosen!
All you have to do is post your comment below. If your comment gets one of the top three highest number of thumbs up, you win! 🎉

Of course, the real reward is the conversation itself. I’m sure each of you will bring a unique and fascinating perspective on human life today—and what it might look like 60 years from now.

Here are my questions for you:

1. Why do you think those lovely kids were so negative about the future back in 1966? They could have imagined the opposite—being excited about the possibilities, saying something like: “Wow! Humans will have amazing new inventions, and life will be easier and more joyful.” But they didn’t. One of them even predicted that ordinary people wouldn’t have jobs, and that only high-IQ people would be employed. We now know they were wrong—not only is life far from boring today, but many ordinary people have good jobs. Yes, some jobs disappear over time, which has always been part of human history, but new jobs are constantly being created as well.

2. How do you imagine human life will be 60 years from now? Will you be as pessimistic as those children were, or do you believe the future will be even better, more exciting, and more joyful than today?

Post your comment below and share your answers and thoughts.
But don’t stop there—read what other members have written and give a thumbs up to the comments that inspire or move you the most. The more we support each other’s ideas, the richer our discussion will be—and remember, the same way you vote for others, they’ll vote for you too!