The New Normal: 26 Depressing Signs the Future Is Already Here

With so many dystopian novels speculating the possible future of our society, there must be one that reflects our current world the best. But which reality do we live in? Is it Gilead or Panem?

Well, if we’re trying to [butts] that, the most logical place to start the analysis would probably be George Orwell’s 1984. That’s both because of the book’s popularity and how often we hear the word “Orwellian” these days.

George Orwell’s 1984 is an exploration of a society that has completely given into a totalitarian regime. It shows how censorship and the lack of free thinking is bound to damage the world. It emphasizes the propaganda, manipulation of truth, and the ridiculous amount of power that the government has over everyone. It does sound a little familiar, right?

The most recent example of censorship getting out of control is the 2021-2023 book bans that rippled through the US. Libraries around the country are being asked to take specific books off their shelves. In fact, 2022 set the record for the most inquiries ever made. And 2023 is on track to break it.

What separates this wave of censorship from others is that this time politicians are the ones stoking the flames. Instead of communities raising the questions directly to schools and libraries, they are getting support from conservative advocacy organizations, which smells a little of 1984.

Many of the challenged books discuss race, [intimacy], and gender. Interestingly enough, though, they are often challenged because of profanity and sexual imagery in it, not politics. So, at least they are trying to conceal their censorship with the thin “oh, think of the children” veil. At least we’re not in Fahrenheit 451 territory yet. But we are getting there.

What about another popular dystopian title, Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World? Well, this book also explores a loss of freedom under a totalitarian regime. In it, people are encouraged to consume as much as possible and seek for pleasure and instant gratification instead of higher meaning. This is also not too foreign for us, right?

Instant gratification is everywhere these days. In essence, the term describes giving up something that would benefit us in the long run and choosing something that benefits us right away instead. How can that be bad, you say? Well, it usually leads to pretty unhealthy habits.

Phones make it especially easy to choose instant gratification over long-term benefits. We spend time we could be spending socializing on social media. The likes and the validation we get replaces real-life interactions. Dating apps are also guilty of that. It used to be that casual dating was seen as too instant of a gratification. These days, this has been replaced with swiping only. So, yes, the brave new world is here.

All of that to say, it seems that dystopia is here. We are living it. The question right now seems to be whether the sequel of this reality is written in Cormac McCarthy’s The Road or Arthur C. Clarke’s 2001: Space Odyssey.

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