People are becoming addicted to all this stuff. It’s like television. Look at the education fall-off since television began. Why? Kids are vegging out. People are becoming isolated from the outside world, literally and figuratively. They’re dealing with pieces of equipment, rather than each other.
Predictor: Celente, Gerald
Prediction, in context:In a 1993 article for The Boston Globe, reporter Nathan Cobb quotes furturist Gerald Celente. Cobb writes:”‘We’re already a work-oriented society,’ Celente contends. ‘We’re working 158 hours more a year than we did 20 years ago, according to the Census Bureau. We have 15 percent less leisure time than 20 years ago. These computers will increase all that. Then there’s the myth of “information overload.” Our studies have found that people are less informed and receiving less information. The information they’re getting is only in their special interest. They’re not receiving a broad base of information. It’s information that’s skewed to their work environment.’ Celente is not finished. ‘We’re also increasing the false sense of how important we are,’ he adds. ‘We always have to be “in touch.” We think everything will break down in 15 minutes if we’re not “in touch.” And people are becoming addicted to all this stuff. It’s like television. Look at the education fall-off since television began. Why? Kids are vegging out. People are becoming isolated from the outside world, literally and figuratively. They’re dealing with pieces of equipment, rather than each other.'”
Biography:Gerald Celente was a futurist and director of the Trends Research Institute. He began this career in 1980 and correctly predicted both the fall of the Soviet Union and the stock market crash of the late 1980s. (Futurist/Consultant.)
Date of prediction: January 1, 1993
Topic of prediction: Community/Culture
Subtopic: Social Withdrawal/Addiction
Name of publication: Boston Globe
Title, headline, chapter name: Online, All the Time; Today’s Technology Makes the Office Omnipresent, but is That Any Way to Live?
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/document?_m=0f5e946cd37eedc88b568f7e015b87c8&_docnum=40&wchp=dGLbVlb-lSlzV&_md5=db4582f99e1a8006691ac27112671132
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Canizaro, Lauren