Music and Motivation
Creative Parents' Credo
Finding Time
Parenting Challenges
Profiles in Creativity
Inspiration For Artists
Accepting Routines
Classroom Shyness
My Childhood and Theirs
Notes from the Library
Who Are Creative Parents
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The
Future is Now
20 YEARS AGO KIDS PREDICTED LIFE TODAY...
and
expected to see a woman president, more robots helping out, and regular
space travel
In
1986, over 10,000 kids age six to 15 were asked what the world would be
like in 20 years. The question was posed in 3-2-1 Contact Magazine where
I was Research Director at the time.(i.s.)
The results, published in the 3-2-1 Contact Magazine and Sesame Street
Parents' Guide were as follows:
Woman President
83% of the boys and girls surveyed said there would be a woman President
in the White House by 2006.
Solar Energy
60% of the kids expected that we’d be getting most of our energy
from the sun, with nuclear power the next most expected source.
Robots Cooking
The majority of 3-2-1 Contact respondents thought that by 2006 robots
would be doing many household chores --including cooking, cleaning and
yard work!
No More Gender Gap
Most kids expected to see equal pay for men and women in the workforce,
and imagined that men and women would be doing the same jobs. They also
expected men and women to share equally in childrearing. (91% expected
that they themselves would be married by age 30.)
Life Underground
About half the kids said that by 2006 people would be living underground
(55%), under water (51%), or in space (48%). More boys than girls predicted
these different lifestyles.
Space Travel
Many kids predicted that there would be regular flights between Earth
and other planets. They thought that people would be living on other planets,
but didn’t want to move there themselves.
They
also expected that we’d find some life forms on the planets, probably
plant life.
Cures for Diseases
Approximately half of the kids expected that a cure for cancer, heart
disease, AIDS, chicken pox, and the common cold would be found by 2006.
The most frequently predicted life expectancy for 2006 chosen among respondents
was 90, with 100 and 110 as next choices.
Greatest Fears
While kids didn’t expect that there would be a nuclear war by 2006,
44% said it was their greatest fear – with the percentage fearing
it even higher among kids under 10 years old.
Nevertheless, children predicted that the world would be a safer place
to live, and that the Soviet Union and the United States would be better
friends.
Career Hopes
36% of the girls surveyed hoped to become doctors and 15% of the girls
wanted to be scientists. The numbers were almost exactly reversed for
boys (36% scientists and 16% doctors!)
Where are those 3-2-1 Contact Readers now?
20
years ago those of us who conducted the survey thought 20 years from then
was an eternity. At the time of the survey, Ronald Reagan was President,
there was still a Soviet Union, and there were no cell phones!
Please share your reactions--
let us know.
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