Talking about centennials is tricky. As of 2016, they are still being born, and they are still too young to have fully formed their social, economic and political perspectives. But using basic forecasting techniques, we do have an idea about the world Centennials are about to grow into.

It’s a world that will reshape history and change what it means to be human. And as you’re about to see, Centennials will become the perfect generation to lead humanity into this new age.

Centennials: The entrepreneurial generation

Some say the world population is set to explode, leading to unprecedented levels of starvation and widespread instability. Others say the world population is set to implode, leading to an era of permanent economic recession. Amazingly, both viewpoints are correct when it comes to how our population will grow, but neither tell the whole story.

Within a few paragraphs, you're about to get caught up with about 12,000 years of human population history. We'll then use that history to explore how our future population will play out. Let's get right into it.

The next three decades will be the first time in history where senior citizens make up a significant percentage of the human population. This is a true success story, a triumph for humanity in our collective quest to live longer and more active lives well into our silver years. On the other hand, this tsunami of senior citizens also presents some very serious challenges to our society and to our economy.

But before we explore the specifics, let’s define those generations about to enter old age.

In 2018, researchers at the Biogerontology Research Foundation and the International Longevity Alliance submitted a joint proposal to the World Health Organization to re-classify aging as a disease. Months later, 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) officially introduced some aging-related conditions such as age-associated cognitive decline.

Control over the Internet. Who will own it? Who will fight over it? How will it look in the hands of the power hungry? 

Thus far in our Future of the Internet series, we’ve described a largely optimistic view of the web—one of ever-growing sophistication, utility, and wonder. We’ve focused on the technology behind our future digital world, as well as how it will impact our personal and social lives. 

But we live in the real world. And what we didn’t cover until now is how those wanting to control the web will impact the Internet’s growth.

Our future Internet won’t just be a place for humans to live and interact inside. In fact, humans may become the minority when it comes to the number of future Internet users.

The endgame of the Internet—its final evolutionary form. Heady stuff, I know.  

We hinted at it when we spoke about Augmented Reality (AR). And now after we describe the future of Virtual Reality (VR) below, we’ll finally reveal what our future Internet will look like. Hint: It’s a combination of AR and VR and one other piece of tech that might sound like science fiction. 

The average person needs to use psychoactive drugs like LSD, Psilocybin, or Mescaline to experience a hallucinogenic event. In the future, all you’ll need is a pair of augmented reality glasses (and they’ll be totally legal).

As of 2015, the idea that wearables will one day replace smartphones seems crazy. But mark my words, you'll be itching to ditch your smartphone by the time you finish this article.

Before we continue, it’s important to understand what we mean by wearables. In the modern context, a wearable is any device that can be worn on the human body instead of carried on your person, like a smartphone or laptop. 

One day, talking to your fridge could become a normal part of your week.