I wish I was born 60 years ago. It's just that... I'm a little indifferent toward the present. I have a hard time seeing what's special about it. How will people remember the 2000s? Sure, there's the war and the horrible economy, but hopefully those aren't the only things people remember. But what else do we have to show?
My dad was born in 1951. I look at all the crazy things he's lived through and get a little jealous. Not everything was positive, of course, but in hindsight, these times were incredibly interesting, and I wish I had something more like them to reminisce about.
Each of these decades puts pretty distinct ideas in my head. Just mentioning the '60s brings a vivid image of the Vietnam War, JFK, hippies and free love to mind. The '70s are the same way with disco, bell-bottoms and Soul Train. Each decade has its own stereotypical qualities that everyone seems to remember.
What's a product that, like the pet rock for the '70s, is and always will be considered an icon of the 2000s? The iPod? Although iPods have had a huge presence during the past 10 years, they're still around and probably will be for a while, making them no longer unique to the 2000s.
Laptops became popular in the '90s, but since they kept getting better and people continued to buy them, people today don't associate them with the '90s. Not many people remember when light bulbs were invented because they're still with us and thus aren't associated with any particular time.
So a problem arises. Since our world has become so incredibly reliant on technology and communication, it's easy to think that our decade will be remembered for its many technological innovations.
However, technology doesn't stop improving. It constantly increases its reach in the world and just gets better with time. What's so memorable about the first iPod? People argue that it started to change the way we listen to music, and in this respect, it may be pretty important.
But the fact of the matter is, people can't help looking at it like an ancient, primitive device that nobody wants anymore. Future technology will make what seems incredible by today's standards seem antique and archaic. Plus, iPods are still popular, albeit in a different form.
So what's our legacy? What are we leaving behind? I just can't formulate a clear picture of the 2000s, let alone one as detailed as when I think of the '60s or '70s.
Maybe the past 10 years have seemed so blah to me because we're still barely finished with them and I can't yet see what makes them unique. Did people fail to see what was so special about the '70s in 1981, only to realize 15 years later how cool they were? In 2030, will people be throwing 2000s-themed parties where everyone will show up in Ugg boots and Silly Bandz?
I know I'm completely overthinking this, and none of it really matters. But I still can't help but wonder if we'll be remembered to the extent of our parents' generation or if the 2000s will become that decade everyone sort of forgets about.
Interested in helping Elliot discover our generation's legacy? Send him an e-mail at ejmorris2@wisc.edu and start brainstorming more bad ass icons than Silly Bandz and Ugg boots.
