When we first landed on the moon, would anyone think that we wouldn't really bother to do it again for 50 years? Or when the space shuttle program first started that there would still be no real people living in space outside of the ISS? Or when Dolly the sheep first happened that cloning would still not really be a thing (outside of insanely rich people and their pets)? I'm sure anyone who tried to write a story at those times that aligned with our current reality would be laughed at for underestimating how influential those events would be.
Seinfeld was super contemporary but it's still enjoyable because it has more to it than the time its set. I still think about the episode where they don't know what airport to pick someone up at, so they drive to the different NYC airports and wait at the gate for the person to arrive, they ask staff members the names of people on planes...This wouldn't even be an issue in the modern day, you can just look up flight delays online or send a text. Or even just get an Uber from the airport. The characters and how they react in situations are timeless, which is why things like @ModernSeinfeld can exist. There's also that one book that I can't recall the name of that had to be updated because Kids These Days wouldn't know what a "sanitary belt" is, but everything else in the book is pretty timeless.
I think it's still way too early to know, and any guess we can make on how the future will be has a decent chance of being totally wrong. Maybe we'll wear masks when we're sick like in Asia. Maybe Disney will continue to de-prioritize its parks in its portfolio. Maybe nothing will change at all! But overthinking it and stressing about making our stories "future proof" by predicting the future will only make you stressed out. It would be better to focus on characters/themes/situations that universal.
Seinfeld was super contemporary but it's still enjoyable because it has more to it than the time its set. I still think about the episode where they don't know what airport to pick someone up at, so they drive to the different NYC airports and wait at the gate for the person to arrive, they ask staff members the names of people on planes...This wouldn't even be an issue in the modern day, you can just look up flight delays online or send a text. Or even just get an Uber from the airport. The characters and how they react in situations are timeless, which is why things like @ModernSeinfeld can exist. There's also that one book that I can't recall the name of that had to be updated because Kids These Days wouldn't know what a "sanitary belt" is, but everything else in the book is pretty timeless.
I think it's still way too early to know, and any guess we can make on how the future will be has a decent chance of being totally wrong. Maybe we'll wear masks when we're sick like in Asia. Maybe Disney will continue to de-prioritize its parks in its portfolio. Maybe nothing will change at all! But overthinking it and stressing about making our stories "future proof" by predicting the future will only make you stressed out. It would be better to focus on characters/themes/situations that universal.