Last year, from our “Something to Write about Wednesday Prompt,” we played along with The New Yorker, asking the question: “WHAT THE NEW ROARING TWENTIES WILL BE LIKE?”
Writers from The New Yorker‘s, Daily Shouts, proposed . . .
*Not wearing makeup will become socially acceptable, but men will continue to ask their barefaced co-workers if they’re sick.
*Cockroaches will collectively grow disillusioned with big-city living and move out to a place in the country . . . . Many will share think pieces about it on TikTok.
*In the New Roaring Twenties, our old clothes will become sentient and feel bad that they no longer fit us.
*Longtime residents of pastorally enchanting towns will be priced out of their homes by gentrifying cockroaches and have no choice but to move to Florida.
*In the New Roaring Twenties, essential workers will get V.I.P. treatment at night clubs, the D.M.V., and Pinkberry. But they will still be tragically underpaid.
*In the New Roaring Twenties, A.O.C. will be President, Amy Adams will finally win an Oscar, and Lin-Manuel Miranda will write a musical version of “The Great Gatsby” with an all-bipoc cast. It’ll earn him his nineteenth Pulitzer and first Teen Choice Award.
Staffers from our very own thebirdonfire.org contributed their predictions. They wrote, “In the New Roaring Twenties, . . . “
- Leo will stop prefacing every question with “I have a question, . . .”
- People putting their pronouns in their social media bios will become commonplace.
- — Alumnus Erik Bearman
- People will no longer have a preference for toilet paper; we’re used to taking whatever we can get on the shelves.
- Disney+, Netflix, or Hulu? Depending on your answer, we may or may not get along.
- — Senior Sara Habibipour
- Because of the increased lethargic attitudes in students due to online school, public schools will adopt mandatory siestas from 1-3 pm.
- — Alumnus Hannah Hall
- People will be elected to public office based on social media followers.
- — Current Blogger Roman Rickwood
- Californians will overrun Texas, causing the half the state to petition to be granted new statehood with the threat of secession should their request be denied.
- — Alumnus Elizabeth Shay
- Conservatives will gain full control of the government and establish prohibition, . . . for social media.
- — Alumnus Jake Sonderman
- In the new roaring 20s, dogs will be much sadder because all of their masters decided they’d like to go back out now instead of being with them all day.
- — Alumnus Dog-Lover Evan Spry
It will be a new world with only a few players for medicine since Big Pharma is buying up all large insurance contracts, your lives will never be like the one we had as young adults, violence is going to be the norm, and education will hold a very different value for the haves versus the have nots. The rich will be very rich and the middle class will be eradicated and there will be a suffering class. Homelessness will be a new social class that cannot not be dismissed. Mental health awareness must be a priority as so many people are not well. Welcome to your world and do the best you can.
Kimberley Yang, PhD, LMFT
PVS Mother since 2015 and Middle-Aged Woman Hoping I can adapt to these changes without feeling extinct!