In future history, will the US post-WWII generation that is well represented here be considered the most fortunate generation? The Baby Boomers have so far experienced a level of economic prosperity unrivaled by any prior generation. More people than ever have been able to FIRE. Food has been ample, and food choices continue to expand. Nuclear war that seemed inevitable during the 1960s has been avoided. No major, widespread plagues or asteroids have hit. Creature comforts like air conditioning are now common. Ethnic and gender discrimination has decreased, giving more Boomers more opportunities than their parents and grandparents had. New tech simplifies many tasks, and facilitates entertainment. Scientific discoveries let us comprehend the very nature of the universe and reality.
Average lifespan has increased, but that increase is now slowing. The number of humans on the planet has more than doubled since the first Boomers, but how long can Earth's resources permit such growth? Fossil energy that had fueled growth by being so cheap and easy to access might be having negative effects on the planet. An individual could live more or less privately and free if desired, but tech can now follow the trail of most people, and that's going to increase. Will future generations be more limited and, relative to the Boomers, routinely experience more austerity? Will tech and AI introduce a new threat? So, in the year 2100 or 2200 will people look back and name US Boomers, born where and when they were, as the luckiest generation?
Average lifespan has increased, but that increase is now slowing. The number of humans on the planet has more than doubled since the first Boomers, but how long can Earth's resources permit such growth? Fossil energy that had fueled growth by being so cheap and easy to access might be having negative effects on the planet. An individual could live more or less privately and free if desired, but tech can now follow the trail of most people, and that's going to increase. Will future generations be more limited and, relative to the Boomers, routinely experience more austerity? Will tech and AI introduce a new threat? So, in the year 2100 or 2200 will people look back and name US Boomers, born where and when they were, as the luckiest generation?