2008 : The Year of Futurism

I'm not sure if others felt the same way, but I remember 2008 had somewhat of a "futuristic" vibe to it. I was 9 years old in 2008, so I was well aware of what pop culture and society were like at the time. Here are a few reasons as to why I believe 2008 had a "futuristic" feel to it;





Music

Music was quite clearly changing in Mid-Late 2008. It was also the year that electropop began to emerge in the Top-40 charts, which helped distinguish 2008 from previous years. I think electropop was the key behind music at the time having somewhat of a "futuristic" feel to it. 




Barack Obama's Election Victory

There was a lot of optimism surrounding Barack Obama's election victory in November 2008. The fact that the United States were electing their first African-American President was viewed as a real sign of progress and it felt as though anything could be achieved. There was also an overwhelming support for him here in Australia and worldwide. I remember all of the media outlets were wanting him to be elected as well.



Kevin Rudd's Stolen Generation Apology

From an Australian perspective, Kevin Rudd's Stolen Generation apology was a very historical moment in Australian history. The Stolen Generation is a term used to describe Indigenous Australians who were forcibly removed from their homes and families by the state governments and assimilated into "white" Australian society. They were either placed into missionaries or were adopted by "white" Australian families. The act was a nationwide policy and the policy was in act from the start of the 20th Century to the Early 1970s. The 2008 apology was a significant moment in Australian history, as it was the first time that the Government had acknowledged that their acts were wrong and they mistreated the Indigenous population. 




WALL-E

Although the movie was aimed at kids, it also criticised societal themes such as consumerism, corporatism, nostalgia, obesity, waste management and humans impact on the environment. "WALL-E" had an overwhelmingly strong message of if we as a society don't take steps to reduce our impacts on the environment, it will destroy the planet and humanity as we know it. 




Introduction of Interactive Whiteboards in Schools

2008 was also the year that the Federal Government began to introduce "interactive whiteboards" to Primary and High Schools. I was in Year 3 in 2008 and I remember that my class was promised that interactive whiteboards had the capacity to communicate real-time with someone living as far north as Cairns or Darwin.