It's the year 2046 ...
I am sitting in my living room, drinking a cup of good night tea, listening to an audio book. My virtual assistant pings on one of the digital devices in my apartment. I look at their message, which includes a summary of what has happened in the world today, keeping me up to date.
First update: the World Economic Forum's inclusive economy prize has been awarded this week, I completely forgot. It went to a family business which focuses on creating work for people with niche abilities. Apparently, they have long ago decided to disregard the "dis" in disability and started developing services and products for people of all ages to guarantee a healthy and mindful upbringing from before birth up to entering the work market which is no longer divided into segments.
Next update: the first frozen human has been reactivated this morning. After having slept in eternal ice for nearly a decade, George Frost has opened his eyes for the first time in a while and with loads of media attention and under surveillance of a certified rebirth assistant went for a walk. Some media outlets have labelled him "the 58-year-old Ice, Ice Baby." Next update: a farming collective has announced the biggest interest in ecolo- My tea spills over my lap. I must have fallen asleep.
Three problematic trends
Trend 1: Longevity in the idea of putting your body on ice to be woken up a few decades or hundreds of years later - why should anyone be so important as to live longer than their body wants them to?
Trend 2: Knowing about disabilities before birth and the enormous ethical question it immediately raises with so many people of whether to keep or not to keep a baby.
A positive development
In the future, the social system is so inclusive that it doesn't matter which disabilities someone has and families are supported through innovative systems which adapt to their needs with regard to childcare.
In the future, people have been humbled and decide to focus their individual resources on the collective (big) here and now rather than on individual longevity.
This image of the future was anonymously submitted by someone describing themselves as:
"I am a 30-something female in a heterosexual exclusive relationship from Germany, currently living in Spain with my partner. I see human reproduction beginning to be an increasingly visible topic in my friends group with couples having babies, deciding for or against a second child and with the topic being located somewhere between discussion about its different dimensions and being taboo at the same time as to not hurt people's feelings."
Originally submitted in English.
