A Real-Life Futurist's 5 Biggest (And Creepiest) Predictions For 2018
What does the future hold for us?
getty Want to know what the future is going to bring? Well, thanks to Faith Popcorn, we can get a glimpse of what our futures may look like.
Faith Popcorn is a futurist with a documented 95% accuracy rate. A futurist is someone who studies the future and makes predictions about it based on current events.
Referred to as "The Trend Oracle" by The New York Times, Popcorn is also the best-selling author of The Popcorn Report and the upcoming Popcorn Report Revisited, as explained on her website. She is also recognized as America’s foremost Trend expert.
According to her website, Popcorn works for many well know and popular brands:
As the lead strategist for Faith Popcorn’s BrainReserve, Faith applies her insight into cultural and business Trends to help FPBR clients reposition established brands/companies, develop new strategies and innovate new products, services, and experiences. She is a trusted advisor to the CEOs of The Fortune 500 including such companies as Allergan, American Express, Avon, Bayer, Campbell's Soup, Citigroup, Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson, Kellogg’s, KFC, Mars, SC Johnson, Tylenol and The United States Postal Service.
She's also recognized for predicting the demand for fresh foods and four-wheel drives and the explosive growth of home delivery, home businesses and home shopping, just to name a few.
One example of her predictions of 2017 that is certainly relatable is stress rising in the workplace. "Going forward, the futurist expects to see more stress rooms in office buildings and "more of a recognition that people are living under a crushing amount of anxiety", Popcorn explained to CNBC. "A stress room would be a welcoming space for employees to go to take a break and perhaps drink kava, a relaxing, root-based tea."
Now that we're full-steam ahead into 2018, what are her future predictions for this year and beyond?
1. Gender-separation in the workforce.
With the rise of the #Metoo and #Timesup movements that have finally given a voice to those who felt they couldn't speak up in the entertainment industry (and the world in general) in 2017, Popcorn predicts that workforces will separate the sexes by keeping them on different floors.
"I think there will be female-only floors in companies and male-only floors," she told Ad Age. "There will be rage rooms where men can act out because they are going to be very angry." However, she also sees a rise in genderless and gender-neutral retail stores and clothing. "Trends don't always go flow in the same river," she explained. We can see a lot more gender neutral baby names and even genderless emojis.
2. Fewer doctor visits.
Making doctor's appointments might be a thing of the past as Popcorn predicts people will be using more technology to check their health, using things like embedded computer chips, swallowable trackers, and color-changing dots that rest on the skin's surface.
"Doctors are going to become keyboard technicians because all the measuring apertures will be in your body," she told Ad Age. "You can have a full checkup without even being there."
3. Anxiety will be our number one health threat.
Popcorn predicts anxiety to rise to the top of everyone's health risks. But how will people combat it? Through virtual reality. Popcorn states people prefer to use a VR experience to deal with anxiety and stress over going outside and getting fresh air. "You don't really go anywhere," Popcorn said. Virtual experience is a "new media" that people are going to be using a lot more of. Also, people will get relief through sound therapy, as well as chemicals dispensed via embedded chips mentioned earlier.
4. Stricter environmental monitoring.
Climate change will lead to strict environmental monitoring and extreme survivalist solutions, according to Popcorn. Shore towns that are under threat from rising tide may be replaced by floating cities. Also, radio frequency identification (RFID) will be used to track how we deal with trash. "We will know where your particular piece of plastic went, where you put it," Popcorn explained. "There will be fines based on that. Just like there are fines if you go through a toll booth and do not pay."
She also believes home purchasing will become difficult due to protected water sources that will become part of the purchase price. And meat lovers are in for a rude awakening as Popcorn predicts meat will become the "new tobacco" and pushed into extinction. Meanwhile, there will be a rise in mushroom and plant-based "meats".
5. Emo-Surveillance
Popcorn believes that facial recognition software will be a major part of our future and our minds and moods can virtually be read and marketed to at all times. According to Popcorn, our bosses will be able to monitor our behavior and efficiency. People will be able to scan each other's personalities and responses via the facial recognition software. Brands will use the same software to advertise and market their products to us. They’ll be able to read how we are responding to their messages in real time and adapt them to better serve us.
Popcorn's firm says these predictions won't reach the mainstream for at least 15-20 years, but signs will begin emerging this year, so stay tuned.
Brittany White is a 26-year-old Journalism Major from Orlando, Florida who has been interning for YourTango since early 2016.
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