Kids In The ’60s Tries To Predict The Year 2000 Would Be Like
Predicting the future is a challenging task, especially in a world where the past and present seem to slip away like shadows. The past provides us with valuable memories and knowledge, but how can we use this information to foresee what lies ahead? One intriguing example of future predictions comes from an unexpected source: children from the 1960s.
A 1966 BBC clip features kids sharing their visions of the year 2000, and their predictions are both fascinating and unsettling. These youngsters, no older than 12 at the time, voiced concerns about a future dominated by nuclear threats. One girl remarked, “There’s nothing you can do to stop it. The more people get bombs, somebody’s going to lose it one day.” Their fear was palpable, reflecting a deep anxiety about the potential for global destruction.
The clip, which aired on December 28, 1966, captures their worries about atomic warfare and its catastrophic effects. One boy predicted, “The whole world will just melt and become one vast atomic explosion.” Another foresaw extreme racial unrest and chaos, stating:
“Some madman will get the atomic bomb and just blow the world into oblivion.”
These children also speculated about more mundane but still troubling future scenarios, like overpopulation and environmental issues. They imagined a world plagued by “too much radiation” and “wars for nuclear explosions,” leading to a planet “too hot to live on.” Others were concerned about the impact of automation, fearing that it would lead to job losses and a “great population problem.”
Despite their young age, their insights reveal a poignant mix of fear and imagination. As we look at their predictions now, it’s clear that even the youngest voices were grappling with the pressing issues of their time, offering a unique perspective on how the future was viewed over half a century ago.
Watch this 1966 video below:
