2026The Family of the Future

By: Kirby Gooding

The Jetsons – Are we there yet?In 1962, Hanna-Barbara created an animated television sitcom known

as “The Jetsons”. This series followed George Jetson and his family through their daily life which was set 100 years in the future. The Jetson family went through life with the help of flying cars, jetpacks, robots, moving sidewalks and various other technologically advanced products in what author Matt Novak of the Smithsonian calls America’s “single most important piece of 20th century futurism”.

Most of these luxuries seemed like nothing but space-age fiction to viewers at the time; however, here we are, more than halfway to the year 2062 and many of the conveniences enjoyed by George, Judy, Jane and Elroy now exist in some form or fashion and more are surely to come in the next ten years.

Although it may be hard to fathom that there is much room for growth considering how advanced our nation already is, there is always something bigger and better on the horizon.

Can a Robot Do That?Although the use of robotics is not a new concept, advances throughout the years have increased the role of the robot in our society, and more importantly, in our economy. Robots can now perform medical procedures, build things, fill orders in a warehouse and the list goes on and on. The role of robots will only continue to advance through the year 2026 as technology makes it easier for them to complete tasks once done by humans.In her article posted on Wired.com, Marguerite McNeal discusses a book published in 2015 and written by Martin Ford titled “Rise of the Robots”. In his book, Ford predicts that “artificial intelligence and robotics will soon overhaul our economy”, and many people agree. McNeal also notes that Oxford University researchers estimate that 47% of jobs in the U.S. will be automated within the next two decades.Another version of a robot comes in the form of “bots” or “chatbots” which are beginning to show up in social media platforms. A bot is software that is designed to automate the kinds of tasks that we would normally do on our own, like making a dinner reservation, adding an appointment to our calendar, or ordering takeout. Bots are virtual robots or chatbots powered by artificial intelligence which will help us take care of our day to day activities. Bots are already in existence to a small degree but most experts agree that this technology will be growing exponentially in the future.

Diffusion of Innovations Theory▪ Developed by Everett Rogers, this theory tries to explain how an innovation is

communicated over time through different channels to members of a social system. ▪ 4 main aspects to this approach are: innovation, communication channels, time, and

social system.▪ This theory is present in the development and growth of robots. If it’s through a

medical procedure, online research, assembly lines, and many other tasks they perform, robots are constantly communicating and working to make our lives easier.

▪ The progress robots have made over the years is remarkable. At first, it was difficult for people to trust these robotics to complete important tasks, but as time went on this innovation proved its success.

▪ The success of “bots” has increased in part due to social systems through mass media, interpersonal communication, organizational purposes and the government. Robots are expected to become interactive with the public as well, which will increase the amount of time and communication we use with this innovation.

▪ Once the “critical mass” has accepted this innovation it can be spread throughout the world to make our day to day tasks more convenient.

A Jobless Future?

In her interview with Martin Ford, McNeal asks him to defend his vision of a “jobless future”. He states that he “sees the advances in technology and it’s becoming evident that computers, machines, robots, and algorithms are going to be able to do most of the routine, repetitive types of jobs.” He goes on to say that “even professional people with college degrees, even professional degrees, people like lawyers are doing things that ultimately are predictable and a lot of those jobs are going to be susceptible over time.”Whether Ford is correct or not will not be known for some time, but one thing is for sure, he is not alone in his thinking. Ivana Kattosava’s article on CNNmoney.com provides statistics regarding the use of robots and the likelihood that certain jobs could be replaced by artificial intelligence in the future. Kottasova quotes a Bank of America study when she writes that “robots are likely to be performing 45% of manufacturing tasks by 2025, versus just 10% today. She further states that according to experts at Oxford University, “by the same year, nearly half of all U.S. jobs will be at high risk of being lost to computers.” and that “jobs previously thought of as secure and now considered high risk include data analysts and bankers.”While I do agree that robots will take the place of many future jobs, it is my feeling that our society and economy will adjust to this change, therefore creating different types of jobs for those displaced workers to do.

Is Your Job at Risk?According to the Bank of America Study, some jobs are more likely to be replaced by artificial intelligence than others as shown in the graphics below:

Cell Phones Throughout the Years*• The world's first handheld cell phone became available to the public in

March 1984. Weighing 1.75 pounds, it was sold for $4,000. Its battery life was about 30 minutes.

• Motorola's 1989 update, weighing a little less than a pound, was lauded as the first phone that fit in your jacket pocket. 

• The first flip phone, Motorola's StarTAC came along in 1996 at a cost of $1,000. Weighing 3.1 ounces, it was one of the first to let users switch between vibrate alerts and ringtones.

• The Tmobile Sidekick was released in 2002, and was a big hit among teens due to the ease of texting with its QWERTY keyboard.

• In 2007, when Steve Jobs introduced the very first Iphone, he said, "Today, Apple is going to reinvent the phone." And he was correct. It contained a touchscreen phone, modeled after a tablet computer.

*The above data was taken from information provided at www.amny.com

How Smart Will Our Smartphones Be?

The Future of Cell Phones: Joanna Stern of the Wall Street Journal discusses several promising advancements that we have to look forward to over the next 10 years: Capable of 3-D holograms – A company called Leia 3D is working on a display that can

project a 3-D hologram that looks like it’s floating in front of your phone. Leia CEO, David Fattal, says “you will be able to see that 3-D selfie pop right off your screen and use your finger to spin it around. Going back to 2-D after this will be like going back to black and white TV after color.

An always charged phone – Ms. Stern is most excited about this technology which promises to solve one of the largest complaints about smartphones – battery life. With this advancement, a person can carry their cell phone into a powered area - a place that has a wireless power transmitter – and a receiver in the phone can pick up the signal and begin charging itself automatically. Several companies are currently working on this technology though there a few hurdles to clear before it becomes a reality.

Healthcare – Some hospitals and physicians are already using cell phones to help in their practice, but this will only multiply in the future. Doctors’ offices will communicate with patients through videos and photos to help diagnose, treat, and follow with them concerning their medical conditions as well as sharing MRI, X-ray and test results. Additional work needs to be done in order to endure doctor/patient privacy rules are adhered before this concept becomes generally accepted.

Uses and Gratifications Theory

▪ This theory gives insight into what people do with technology and sees the users as actively seeking to use different media to fulfill different needs. This theory helps us understand why people choose to use certain types of technology to satisfy their needs.

▪ Uses and Gratifications theory is ever so present in the use of our cell phones. We have become so reliant on our cellular devices for so many different needs.

▪ I, for example, would be completely lost without the GPS on my phone to get me pretty much anywhere I have never been before. I also feel almost empty without my phone, which serves as a type of companionship between us and our cell phones.

▪ Cell phones serve as a huge, if not the main, source of communication for us. Whether I am making a call, texting ,emailing, or facetiming, I rely on my cell phone for communication and I see nothing but growth in this area in the future as our society becomes even more dependent on our devices.

What Becomes of Social Media?

In 2004, when Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook from his Harvard dorm room, social media was pretty much non-existent. Since then, it has become a global phenomenon which has changed the way the world communicates.

Mary Catherine Wellons of CNBC asked industry experts for their predictions about the future of social media:“Mobile is the first step toward the portable future of social media and how we consume it, and I think wearables will be a big part of that. I can see it evolving into an implanted device in our bodies that will connect to everything around us” – Piera Gelardi, Refinery 29, Creative Director

“The way in which we both input and observe media will have completely shifted. Keyboards on desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones will become increasingly irrelevant, as interactions on what was once called social media will largely be voice-controlled” – Jeremy Goldman, Author of “Going Social”, Firebrand Group CEO

“Wearables will completely replace tablets, and social media will hyper-accelerate Big Data”, and “who knows if the social platforms will even exist” – Nikea Patel, Rebelmouse, Director of Content

“All I do all week is look at my phone, reading articles, liking posts, sending emails/tweets/messages. In the future, I will “disconnect” by putitn gon Oculus virtual reality glasses when I get home-and suddenly I’ll be sitting courtside at the Knicks game with my Facebook friends.” – Jason Stein, Laundry Service Founder & President

“I think that social media will be more integrated into everything”, “I don’t think that there’s going to be something called social media that people will be talking about in five years” – Ellie Wheeler, Greycroft Partners, Principal

Social Learning/Social Cognitive Theory▪ This observational theory focuses on how people learn by modeling the behavior of others.

This happens by observing individuals and also through symbolic modeling through a television, phone, computer screen or magazine.

▪ Social media plays a huge role in this theory and increases observational learning among individuals active on social media. Most of what we learn about what is going on in today’s world comes from various types of social media applications.

▪ Everyone on social media posts pictures or posts that show off their best characteristics and attributes. No one wants to show the weakest parts of themselves, so this makes others feel that they need to keep up with the success of their peers; this could include outward appearance, relationships, work and more.

▪ Reinforcement and punishment determine whether or not a behavior will be performed. For example, someone makes a post about this diet that led them to losing over 20 lbs and they post transformation pictures to prove it. This is a reinforcement tool that will increase the chances of this behavior to be modeled.

▪ Social media has pretty much taken over the digital world and entered the critical mass. It is difficult to find someone who does not have one source of social media. We spend an incredible amount of time on social media that it is inevitable for us to model the behaviors of others.

While I believe there will be some sort of social media present 10 years from now, It is my firm opinion that at some point in the future, our nation’s obsession with our smartphones and social media will begin to wane. I think our pre-occupation with these things will start to take a toll on family and personal relationships to the point where the family unit as we once knew it will cease to exist. This has already started to happen as you can go to dinner in a restaurant on any given night and see a family sitting down to eat dinner with all members slumped over while they check their Twitter feed, send Snapchats to friends, or post pictures on Instagram. At some point I think parents will step up and say “Enough is Enough”, or at least that is what I wish for. Until then, we will continue to spend hours every day with our heads buried in our phones as the world passes us by.

My Thoughts on Social Media in the Future

ReferencesEdwards, C. (2016, July 20). Why and how chatbots will dominate social media. Retrieved from https://techcrunch.com/2016/07/20/why-and-how-chatbots-will-dominate-social-media/

Kottasova, I. (2016, January 15). Smart robots could soon steal your job. Retrieved from http://money.cnn.com/2016/01/15/news/economy/smart-robots-stealing-jobs-davos/

McNeal, M. (2015). Rise of the machines: the future has lots of robots, few jobs for humans. Retrieved from http://www.wired.com/brandlab/2015/04/rise-machines-future-lots-robots-jobs-humans/

Novak, M. (2012, September 19). 50 years of the Jetsons: why the show still matters. Retrieved from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/50-years-of-the-jetsons-why-the-show-still-matters-43459669/

Ruggiero, N. (2015, March 9). A look back at cell phones-before the iPhone. Retrieved from http://www.amny.com/lifestyle/cell-phones-through-the-years-1.7585422

Stern, Joanna. (2016, April 6). Smartphones are boring: here’s what happens next. Retrieved from http://www.wsj.com/articles/smartphones-are-boring-heres-what-happens-next-1459963697

Wellons, C. (2014, October 2). 11 Predictions on the future of social media. Retrieved from http://www.cnbc.com/2014/10/02/11-predictions-on-the-future-of-social-media.html