In 1966, British children shared their predictions for the year 2000 in a BBC program, offering a fascinating glimpse into their perceptions of the future. Their predictions reflected both optimism and concerns rooted in the social and technological context of the 1960s. Here are some of their key forecasts:
Nuclear Armageddon: Many children feared that atomic bombs would lead to global destruction, envisioning the Earth as a “vast atomic explosion” or a supernova due to nuclear warfare.
Overpopulation: Some predicted extreme overpopulation, imagining people living in cramped flats or even undersea domes and in the Sahara Desert due to a lack of space.
Automation and Unemployment: Several children foresaw widespread automation leading to mass unemployment, with only those possessing high IQs being able to work with advanced technology25.
Environmental Changes: Predictions included rising sea levels, submerging parts of England, and a new Ice Age caused by polar ice caps spreading.
Social and Technological Predictions
Factory Farming: One child predicted livestock would be kept in buildings rather than grazing freely, which aligns with the rise of intensive farming practices like battery farming.
Racial Integration: Optimistically, some children believed there would be less racial segregation and greater equality between rich and poor.
Medical Advances: They anticipated better cures for diseases, resulting in fewer illnesses.
Amusing or Imaginative Ideas
Cabbage Pills: A humorous prediction involved people eating “cabbage pills” for meals instead of traditional food.
Robots and Computers: Some envisioned a world dominated by machines, including robots performing tasks or even being put on trial in “robot courts.”
Accuracy of Predictions
While some predictions were exaggerated or overly pessimistic (e.g., nuclear devastation or living undersea), others were surprisingly prescient:
- The rise of automation and its impact on jobs.
- The expansion of factory farming.
- Smaller living spaces due to urbanization.
These predictions highlight how children in 1966 reflected both the anxieties and aspirations of their era, shaped by fears of nuclear war, rapid technological changes, and social upheavals.