"It Will Seem Barbaric" — People Are Sharing The "Normal" Things That They Think Will Be Obsolete By 2075

While some truths endure as time goes by — like our need for love and connection and the bittersweet reality that life is a continuous cycle of often repeated triumphs and tragedies — their context evolves with each generation. Like, in 1975, the idea of computers dominating nearly every aspect of our daily lives was probably still the stuff of science fiction.

We can't know for sure what the context will look like 50 years in the future — or what will be obsolete or even considered inhumane by the time we get there — but we sure can speculate. Recently, someone on Reddit asked, "What's something normal to us in 2025 that by 2075 will be seen as barbaric? [What will make people say,] "Wow, people really used to do that 50 years ago?"

Here are a few of the most mentioned responses:

1."Hopefully: Using your children to create content on social media so it can be monetized."

2."Use plastic packaging for food all the time, cutting food on plastic cutting boards, drinking from plastic straws, plastic bottles, plastic everywhere all the time!"

3."Not giving anesthesia when placing IUDs."

4."Animal captivity for entertainment (drugged dolphins in resorts, whales at SeaWorld) and the scale at which we farm animals in factories and decimate ocean life. It's repulsive the way we treat animals."

5."Spending multiple hours, every day, scrolling mindlessly on social media."

6."As an orthopedic surgeon, I always think people will cringe in the future at what is routine now. 'You used to drill rods and screws into broken bones? What the heck were you all thinking?' I pray for either injectable bone healing bots or some Star Trek device that helps regenerate new tissue."

7."Drilling teeth."

8."Medical bankruptcies, for-profit healthcare leaving people to die if uninsured."

9."The way we treat people with disabilities. The way the USA's disability benefits system currently works."

10."Probably driving ourselves. At least by the turn of the new century. The only people who drive themselves will be enthusiasts with a niche hobby until it's outlawed completely as humans are simply far more prone to error than computers are."

11."Allowing minors unmitigated access to social media."

12."Disposable vapes."

13."Probably boxing and MMA as we learn more about CTE."

14."Neglecting artificial intelligence ethics."

15."Hopefully, cancer treatments."

16."Working a 9-5."

And lastly:

17."Idolizing billionaires."

What societal norms do you think will seem inhumane, or become completely obsolete in future generations? Let us know the comments or at this anonymous form.