“Dear Residents of 2071”
By Riley Haley
I hope that things have gotten better since now, because the world has hit rock bottom. Hopefully, we have all gotten rid of hatred in our hearts for others because the way it is looking now, love for each other is becoming extinct. All of the fake news going around has caused people to hate each other if someone else fits the stereotype of what the internet tells us is wrong, like differences in political opinions. The US is falling apart, once again being split. Social media has formed a sort of a cancel-culture that alienates anyone who has a difference of opinion. Many think that our beliefs and opinions completely define us as a person, which is not so true. If this keeps on for long, society will destroy itself, and there will be no one left to read this letter.
I'm writing this early in the year 2021, which we hope will be better than 2020. We all could do many things differently to keep each other safer, but people are finding any way possible to blame someone else for their problems without taking into consideration whose fault it is. Not wearing masks in public, going to parties, not staying socially distanced; all things people do, and then complain about when the cases spike.
We are still in the Covid-19 pandemic with the vaccine only being out for about a month. The government is trying to keep us six feet apart and separated, but many leave their homes without following guidelines and not realizing the risk to others, or not caring at all. Most schools have shut down and are doing all online classes to keep kids socially distanced. Many stores have resorted to online orders only to keep customers. Restaurants mostly do take-out or pick up, no dining in. No one knows how long this will be going on. Hopefully, by 2071, Covid-19 is just another page in a history book.
It is hard to see the good in the world when all we are being shown is the negative parts. Most people have a cell phone with social media apps like TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, and more. Big influencers try to spread awareness on topics they feel are important, but it is hard to believe anyone nowadays when we don’t know what the actual situation is or who is telling the truth. It seems we are all pessimistic now; no one remembers how to see the light in anything when all we hear is bad. Even the most positive person has a breaking point, but when everyone has reached theirs, all good seems to be gone.
It is hard to imagine the future being brighter than life now. Of course, when you hit rock bottom the only way to go is up, but I believe living like we are now, we will figure out some way to put ourselves deeper into this hole. Maybe by 2071 we’ve all realized that some things aren’t worth fighting over. Maybe our political opinion does not matter except for when voting time comes around. Hopefully, we will be able to run up to our friends and hug them without worrying about a virus.
Hope. That’s what we are all relying on for the future.
“To the Residents of 2071”
By Carys Copeman [WINNER!!]
To the residents of 2071, I was asked to write a letter to put in the time capsule. There are many things in this world happening today that will be part of your history. For instance: global warming, a pandemic (Covid-19,) and political unrest. With all of these events taking place in this time, I think it is important to bring up the issue of our treatment of each other, particularly treatment of those whose views do not necessarily align with ours.
In a perfect world, we would never have any tension between one another and value each other as we do our own family or possessions. Reality called though, and said: “news flash: we live in a world with a random virus appearing and shutting the world down, people harming one another for the difference in political views, trash in the ocean and smoke in the air, and so many more things that make this world a hateful and harmful place,” and it seems we have seen more hatred and ill-treatment of others than ever before these past months.
One of the issues is people's beliefs about the pandemic that is Covid-19. People have become polarized with regards to their beliefs on how the pandemic should be and should have been handled. From masks to shutdowns to whether the virus was some sort of political hoax or biological weapon, everyone has an opinion. And that’s the problem: everyone has an opinion. People believe everything they hear that fits their point of view without actually doing any research and then vilify those whose opinions and beliefs are different from theirs calling them “sheep” without ever taking the time to attempt to understand why someone believes differently from them.
As with the pandemic, another hot topic is global warming/climate change. And, as with the pandemic, people are sharply divided on each side of the issue (it exists or it doesn’t, it’s man-made or it isn’t, human mitigation attempts will be successful or won’t, it’s part of a natural cycle or isn’t). While people aren’t calling others “sheep” over this issue, the poor treatment of those whose views differ still abounds. Each side says “listen to the science” or “do your research” but rarely take the time to actually discuss the research or reasoning behind their opinions and views, choosing instead to name call, effectively shutting down any chance at reasonable discussion and learning. This often leaves both parties frustrated and doesn’t help solve the problem at all.
As if the pandemic and climate change weren’t enough, we’ve also had a lot of political unrest this year. If you could name an issue, people are probably divided on it and typically are divided along party lines. The libertarians, it seems, are the only ones who mostly, though not always, avoid the fray. We’ve seen protests and marches, riots, looting and burning. These started for non-political reasons, but people quickly made a political issue out of it. We’ve seen people yelling at each other, getting in each other’s faces, throwing things at each other. We’ve seen people on opposing political sides calling those on the other side very ugly names, names which I won’t repeat.
In all of the chaos and turmoil of this year, I’ve witnessed families stop speaking to each other because of their views. I’ve seen old friends give up on each other. All the while, it seems to be rare that any of these people have actually stopped and stepped back for a minute and just listened. Listened to what the other had to say. I’ve seen a lot of listening to respond and very little listening to try to understand. I’ve seen people ignore facts or not even bother to research the facts while preaching “talking points” (tidbits of information that may or may not be based in truth). At the end of the day, we are all humans. We are all on this ride together, this ride called life. It’s ok to not agree with each other, but it’s not ok to hate each other or call each other names, much less attempt to harm someone else (there are very few exceptions such as anti-semitism). My advice to you, people of 2071, is to slow down and listen. Listen to what others have to say. Engage in discussion and be willing to accept that others may not hold the same views as you. Strive to make educated opinions and choices, using credible, vetted sources and use those to support your views. Refrain from name calling. It doesn’t help, provides only a moment of satisfaction to the person doing the calling and effectively shuts down any further chance at open conversation. Don’t make generalizations. People rarely fit a mold and most of us find the thinking of “all X do Y” demeaning and offensive which also shuts down any further conversation. Realize that our varied life experiences help shape our views and that someone who has walked a different road than you isn’t any better or any worse than you, just different. Above all, be kind. Remember the Golden Rule. To quote Dr. Wayne Dyer: “When given the choice between being right and being kind, choose kind.” And remember: sometimes “being right” is a matter of perception, just like “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. In closing, my friends, always remember to be open to the views of others, to listen to understand and not just respond and, above all, be kind.
“My First Journal Entry”
Kenzie Hattaway
January 1, 2021:
Last year a group of friends and I met up, and we all got trash bags and picked up trash around town. We planned out what roads we’d clean, and the groups we’d separate into. We spent all morning in town picking up trash. After hours of walking, I actually realized how much trash and pollution are all over the place. These are the things you don’t really notice until you pay attention to them. When I realized the seriousness of pollution all over the world, I began to educate myself on the topic.
My group had been picking up trash for about 45 minutes. I opened my trash bag, and I picked up a plastic wrapper for bottles of soda. It reminded me of all the commercials and videos online I’d see about how that seriously hurts the environment. Animals in the ocean get caught in the plastic and they die. Starving animals find this plastic on the road and eat it because they have nothing else. This causes the animals to die because they get sick.
I kept walking with my friends, and we found a nasty bottle leaking into a stream.
I couldn’t help but think about migrating birds stopping for water, not knowing it's polluted and they die from an illness. Statistics stated in the Canadian Encyclopedia say that 99% of the water on Earth is polluted. So many animals die from sickness, after drinking polluted water. Companies catch fish that have become sick due to water pollution, and when the food is served to people, they become sick from the transmitted diseases. People get diseases from eating sick animals, but we are the reason they’re sick.
After picking up trash for a few hours, our bags got too heavy, so we all met up to dump them. My friend Joshua was dumping his bag, and a bottle fell out. It got all over him and it took him a few seconds to realize it was vomit. Everyone was laughing, including Joshua. We decided he should sit out because the smell was unbearable. We all grabbed a new bag and got back to work. We had already made it to the other side of town by now.
I was walking beside the railroad tracks, and a few big trucks drove by. I noticed the second truck’s exhaust was black. That smoke coming from that one truck impacts the environment so much. Thousands of trucks let off smoke and gases into the air every day. This slowly ruins the air we breathe. We as people aren’t only hurting animals, but we are hurting ourselves too.
For future generations, 50 years from now, all I hope to see is a step in the right direction. I want to witness the world taking action towards pollution, climate change, and wildlife safety. If action isn’t taken soon, 50 years from now we will have to live on Mars. We take everything for granted. Be thankful for this earth, we need to stop destroying it.
¨To the Residents of 2071¨
By Zane Garrett
I do not know what will occur between now and 2071. Nobody knows what will happen during those 50 years. When the time comes, there may not be anyone left to read this. The way we are going, the idea of human extinction in 50 years is not impossible. But, if the Earth is still alive, and we are still able to read English, I write this not only to the residents of 2071, but to the residents of 2021 as well.
Depending on how we treat our planet, we may never make it to 2071. The Earth is hotter than it ever was before. The oceans are filled with garbage. Entire forests have been destroyed. We fight one another, and cause destruction. The Earth cannot handle this for much longer. People try to make a difference, but we still rely too heavily on fossil fuels and other nonrenewable resources. If the Earth dies, so do we. We may still be alive in 2071, but it seems to be a bleak future.
I know that even if we slowed down the Earth's death, many problems still exist. In 2071, we may be facing problems that we have not even thought of. In order to solve those problems, we would need more than a few years. The problems were started years ago, but they will not disappear as quickly as they appeared.
We control how our future goes. If we want to keep taking, we will keep taking until there is nothing left to take. If we want to keep our planet and change the course of the future, we can. If we just pick up our trash and any trash we see, we will be able to make at least a little difference. But the problems will not go away that easily. Fighting still destroys nature. It will take more than a few people to clean up the Earth.
The future of the Earth does not seem to be a good one, but we have to do something. We cannot clean up our planet as easily as we can clean up our houses, so it will take almost everyone. A single person can make a difference, even if it is small. In order to make it to the year 2071, we need to make a large change. We control what happens to the Earth.
For the residents of the year 2071, I hope you have done what I mentioned. If you are reading this, I believe that there is a good chance that you have made a change. There is a chance, however, that nobody will be around to read it. Maybe everyone left the Earth to find a better planet. Our entire race could be on a ship in space, floating endlessly through the universe. If we made it fifty years without solving these problems, the Earth may already be too far gone to save.
Nobody really knows what will happen between now and 2071. There are ways to predict the future, but no way to surely know it. If we continue to destroy our home, we may not have a future. We choose what we want to do. We can choose to kill the Earth, along with us, or we can choose to do everything in our power to keep it alive. Whether we stop fighting with other nations or we stop dispensing our trash into lakes and oceans, we can make a difference. The future is in our hands.
“To the Residents of 2071”
By: Shannon Berryhill
I hope this passage finds the residents of 2071 well. I fear it will not however, because I feel this pandemic we are in will only get worse. We call the pandemic COVID-19 or Coronavirus, which I’m sure you’ve heard of, and it has kept people from their normal lives; masks are being required and a six feet or more distance between non-family members. COVID-19 has homeschooled many kids, and it has resulted in the majority of adults having to work from home. Some people enjoy working from home but others hate it. As for Bleckley County High School, we have an alternating schedule so that half the school goes on one day, and the other half goes the next day. When we first went back to school, I couldn’t tell people apart because I wasn’t used to seeing just their eyes. It took me a couple of days to be able to automatically spot my friends again. People that I know will walk by and say hello, and I’ll kindly respond, but most of the time I’m wondering, Who was that?
Hopefully this whole mess will be over by the time you read this, for if it is not, then it is probably even worse, and for that I am sorry. We are having to change our ways to protect ourselves and others. We wash our hands more often, use more sanitizer, and other disinfectants. The older people, the young, and those with compromised immune systems are at higher risk of getting sick and dying. I worry for my grandparents because if they get COVID-19 then I won’t be able to visit them, and they will most likely die from it. They stay inside and don’t go to town very often to try to prevent getting sick. I also worry about my nephews. They are just babies, so the virus could be fatal to them as well because their immune systems are weak.
Our teachers and higher ups say we are paving a progressive way for future generations. I speculate our future generations will be in a more restrictive environment and lifestyle, which to me doesn’t seem progressive. If we don’t fix this, then we are simply handing our problems to you, but maybe there are people smart enough to figure out a solution before this reaches you. The vaccination, scientists have made, is still in a trial phase since they just released it to the public. My family and I are wary of getting the vaccine. In the past, when we got a vaccination we got sick or it caused other problems. We have decided to wait and see what problems it causes to others first. I wonder what harm or good the vaccine will do; will it cause more problems, will more people die, or will it really help?
There’s a lot of speculation about the virus and what the outcome will be. Originally when someone got the virus there was a higher death rate, but now that we have been around the virus and it has spread, people are having milder cases and not staying sick for as long as they were. I believe either our immune systems are getting stronger or that the virus is weakening. I think this virus wouldn’t have hit so hard if our population wasn’t overrun by people who don’t get out in the world and build up their immune systems. There are so many people who sit at home relying on government assistance and never get outside and take on the world. There are also people who stay inside playing video games who don’t expose themselves to illness as much as those who get outside.
Going outside, playing, and doing stupid risky stuff like kids used to do is why they were so healthy. Kids nowadays don’t get out and play hide and seek, tag, or get creative with nothing but sticks, dirt and rocks to choose from. I used to play in the creek behind my house. I would find snakes, frogs, and small fish to catch and release once I had satisfied my curiosity. Me and my friends would play in the mud along the bank and have mud fights all the time. Most kids sit inside with their friends, each one on their phone, not going out and experiencing the wondrous outdoors.
My parents tell me stories of their childhood all the time; they say that their way of life kept them healthy, and if now people would do what they did, then they wouldn’t get sick as much. My mom talks about how tough it was growing up with three brothers, and my dad tells me about him and his friends staying out in the woods all day. One of his stories was about how him and his friends got an old army tank parachute and tied the edges to the trunks of trees. When they jumped out of the trees, they would jump into the parachute to break their fall. On my dad’s jump the parachute tore, and due to the height he jumped from, the fall broke his knees. The risky stuff taught them lessons, and the woods built their immune systems.
Kids are so protected nowadays that they don’t get to be as adventurous or risky as they used to, which impacts the strength of their immune systems, and COVID-19 has taken advantage of that. My parents say they hardly ever get sick, and I believe it’s because of how much time they spent outside and the healthier eating choices. They didn’t have all the junk food that we have now, so they ate their fruit, vegetables, protein, and grains that keep their bodies healthy. People now eat chips, candy, and other unhealthy foods that don’t fuel their bodies the same way. The weaker the body the more susceptible the person is to COVID-19. Therefore, I believe if our immune systems were stronger then this wouldn’t have killed so many. We have to find a way to put an end to this pandemic or new generations won’t be able to experience the world as it used to be. My high school years will be different thanks to COVID-19, but I hope that others will get to experience what I missed.
“To the Residents of 2071”
By James Cairney
Humans have never been good at getting along with each other, and 2021 is no exception. The governments of the world are all at odds with each other, and within the United States there are riots and protests. A large part of the problem is that the world is being treated like a zero sum game. In a zero sum game, when one party benefits, the other is hurt an equal amount. For instance, something good for the United States would be just as bad for Iran or China. This mentality is going to destroy the world, because when there is a set amount of “stuff,” it is impossible to better yourself without hurting someone else. Also, the world is in fact not a zero sum game. There is no specific amount of “stuff” in the world, and more “stuff” can always be created. For example, in 1945 at the end of World War II, the US occupied West Germany, along with France and Britain. They set up a democratic government, and a free economy. Germany, now unified, benefited greatly by this intervention, while the US didn't lose anything. If anything, the US, France, and Britain gained a valuable ally. So overall, the world was impacted positively by this support that was given. This demonstrates how the world could function if the zero sum mentality was dropped. The danger is that the world continues to be played like nothing can benefit both sides, and that will lead to ruin for all. No one will want to help anybody, and all countries will be at constant odds with each other. This, however, does not have to be the case. The countries of the world could unite over a common goal, such as colonization of space or, more currently, stopping the destruction of the environment.
This leads into my next concern for the future: the future of our planet. It seems that, currently, people value convenience over longevity. For instance, when I go to my local grocery store and look around, most of the things I see have plastic packaging. In my town, there is no central recycling program, so unless the people care enough to recycle, everything will end up in a landfill, and for the most part, people do not care. It is more convenient in the short term to throw the wrapper in the trash and forget about it, but because so many people have this mentality, the planet is at serious risk. This will have to change. People cannot continue to be irresponsible, because the planet isn't able to take care of itself. We need to take care of it, and if we continue doing what we have been doing for the next 50 years, the planet may receive irreversible damage.
As humans move into the near future, the people of the world need to unite for a common goal, because if we all unite, then we will face whatever challenges the future with strength. Some claim that the work to ensure that humans have a future on Earth can be "done later" or that "we can fix the problems when they get worse." This mentality is that of a student putting off his schoolwork until five minutes before class: we may find something that is passable as a solution, and the world breathes a sigh of relief, or we get so stressed from the pressure that the world cracks, and chaos ensues. It is always better to start early on things that you know are important, so the environment needs to be more than a passing afterthought. Looking ahead, the future could end up any number of ways, but if changes are implemented to how we live our lives, then our future is guaranteed.
“To the Residents of 2071”
By Lauren Coley
Good afternoon, Mr. Patel. I hope this email finds you in good spirits and that all is well with you and your family. My English teacher has invited me to write a letter for our grade’s time capsule that will be opened in 2071. When my teacher originally presented me with this opportunity, a weight fell on my chest as I reflected over 2020. So many things have taken place that I never could have dreamed of, and I have to give credit where credit is due as I realize that I am not the first individual to have their life turned upside down by events out of my control. From the Spanish flu during the Great Depression to the global flu pandemic of 1889, it is almost comforting to know that some girl my age has experienced her own version of my strife and survived. Eventually, her life had to have been cleared of the fog that is the fear, loss, isolation, and uncertainty cloaking every moment of every day.
I am still waiting for mine to clear.
As you know, the last day of middle school that I attended as your student was Tuesday, March 13th. At the time, I was already planning to try out for the high school softball team that summer, and I had written an entire bucket list of goals that I wanted to accomplish and adventures I wanted to go on with my friends during the three month break-- starting a garden going or bathing suit shopping and staying up all night with my friends. Today I looked at the list again, and almost nothing was marked off because soon after March 13th, president Donald Trump declared a national emergency, sending the country into quarantine.
My parents continued to work because their jobs fell under the small list of essential workers, and I have no siblings, so March 13th began five months of every waking moment being by myself.
Mr. Patel, I have drafted this email today because I am hoping that you could proof-read this assignment, or at least help me string these ideas together in a way that makes sense. I want my time capsule letter to be less depressing than the monologue I have written you thus far; I want it to look at those five months I spent alone.
At first, it was almost like we had been let out for an early summer vacation. We barely had virtual assignments that taught us something new, so I had all the time in the world to paint, read, or scroll through social media, but soon I grew to know my greatest fear very well: silence. I did everything to fill the house with sounds that would remind me of other peoples’ voices; I turned on the TV, always had music playing, and tried calling my friends throughout the day, but despite the faux noise, my loneliness was the most deafening sound in the house.
I knew that it would end, but the question everyone asked was when? In March, they said June; in June, they said August. In August, they said by 2021, but it is January 11th, and two girls were absent from class today because they had contracted the virus.
Despite this uncertainty, I watched people come together during this time-- staying six feet apart, of course. I saw my neighbors grocery shopping for elderly residents, and I cannot count the number of encouraging messages I received from my friends and family. As our world fell apart, we came together.
The news begged for our attention as it chose to spotlight forest fires, the pandemic, and a country divided by political parties, but 2020 has been more than this. Thousands of people sacrificed their health for the good of the country as they allowed the vaccine for Covid-19 to be tested on them. Scientists, healthcare professionals, and other first responders put in extra hours, most also risking their lives, to tackle something unpredictable and unlike anything our country had seen. Apart from what the media had shown, acts of kindness were seen every day as the country decided to band together instead of falling apart.
If I could tell the residents of 2071 one thing, it would be to open your eyes. Everyone seems so happy to be out of 2020, like the last two digits on the end of the date decides the quality of life, but we make a decision to see the good every day. Look for the good, and you will find it, and if you do not see good, become the good. You are the future, and you can decide how you want to live. I am not saying to suppress the bad; if anything, 2020 taught me to bring it on but to realize that life happens while conflict is happening, and if you really look, there is so much to be thankful for.
Thank you for reading this, Mr. Patel. I hope we can talk further about the prompt and how I can improve my work for the project. I will let you return to your work now, but I was thinking about ending my letter for the time capsule like this: to the residents of 2071, be my witness as I acknowledge the hardship of the year behind me but say thank you, 2020, for teaching me to see the good in the bad.
“A Letter to the Residents of 2071”
By Johna Bowen
To the Residents of 2071,
Just to give you a small idea of what life is like while I am writing this to you, I am currently sitting in a desk at my high school. I am what we call “socially distanced” from everyone around me, meaning I am at least six feet away from the people next to me. I am also wearing a face mask because Covid-19 is highly contagious, and even though I am six feet away from people, I could still contract the virus. Crazy right? I highly do not recommend living through a worldwide pandemic.
You have probably heard about it, maybe even learned about it in school. Covid-19 is a virus that became a worldwide pandemic that turned everyone’s life upside down. Symptoms included headache, fever, loss of taste, and smell. There was talk going around as early as November 2019 that a virus was going around China, and governments were beginning to shut things down over in other countries. It is currently January of 2021 and Covid-19 started shutting everything down over in the US in March of 2020. Face masks were recommended in public areas, and people were advised to only leave their houses if it was absolutely necessary. A lot of people were laid off from their jobs unless they were essential. Neither of my parents lost their jobs but millions of other people did.
There was still about two months left of school, so everything went virtual. There were online class meetings being held, assignments were emailed to students, end of year testing was completely canceled. It was so easy to become lazy, because everything was new territory for everybody. Yes, we had some assignments but they were small, so school barely took any time to do. Teenagers stayed at home because their parents worried about Covid. Meaning, no summer parties with big crowds or going out to eat at restaurants as much. I do not think I walked into a store for about four months. While my parents still went to work, my sister and I stayed at home all day everyday watching Netflix non stop.
Being an athlete, I was still training everyday, but that only took two or three hours tops. Luckily, I was working through an injury, so my self motivation had increased some because I did not want to let it get the best of me, and I wanted to come back even stronger. However, after I had recovered, it became easier to get lazy. I would go to the small practices my coach held and go home and do nothing productive. I used early morning practices as an excuse to be lazy and rest all day. Eventually I became fed up with being unproductive, because that is not who I am. So, I made a change. If I ever found myself being lazy, I would make myself get up and do something.
I had one friend who helped me through that. She always asked me to do a workout with her over FaceTime or go for a walk around the block--we are neighbors so this was easy to do. Sometimes I would go to her house for the day and swim since she had a pool. She really held me accountable during those four months, and I am so grateful for that.
Doing this slowly helped me get out of my season of laziness. I wanted to start getting out of the house more, but Covid-19 made that hard. Having to stay at home all the time started to get really boring. I was actually excited for school to start. Never in my life have I been excited to go to school, but 2020 was a year of endless possibilities. I think anyone who lived through 2020 will tell you that it was by far one of the most exhausting years ever.
“To the Residents of 2071”
John Conley
The year 2071 is 50 years after 2021. The world might not not exist in 2071, maybe because there was another war, or perhaps from something else. Maybe the most popular movie company Disney might have finally bought all of the movie companies around the world and made sequels of them, but that’s not the topic that you’ll read. The topic that you’ll read from me is how the technology in 2071 might affect your era.
From the first eyeglasses, to the first automobile, technology has affected us throughout time. No matter how good the technology the inventors have made to benefit us, it will have the same result, the reliability of technology. Don’t think it's just your generation who has that problem. I too had that problem back in 2021. I did not like to work, and I don’t like to jog. One day I decided to jog around three miles on the road in the morning. Because of seasonal asthma that I have, I ended up with a long, stressful walk instead. When I returned, I said, “Why bother running when you can drive.” At least I got five dollars out of it.
Technology might have advanced so much that your generation might not even be working at all, instead you have something else in your place like computers. If that’s so, well back in 2021, we work to get paid so we can pay for our taxes and food, and you are too lazy to do it yourself. You’re probably too lazy that you don’t even walk anymore. instead you might have a mobile chair that gets you to move around, like the citizens of the “Axiom” in the movie “WALL-E.” This will most likely cause your new generations to be very weak and vulnerable. Imagine it, people who can no longer pick up an object that weighs at least one ounce. You will be like a giant human baby.
There are many possibilities on how technology might have evolved throughout the 50 years since my time. Video games might have changed too. You all might not use hand held controllers any more, you might be moving around with nothing but yourself in front of a screen, with something copying your moves. Back in 2021, handheld controllers were both old and new. The PS5 and the Xbox Series X are brand new video game consoles that still require hand held controllers. This might have a benefit to this, and you might get exercise from it.
The reason why it leads me to believe that the year of 2071 will have this kind of technology compared to 2021 is how it has been improving constantly. Every year, a new type of I-Phone will be placed on shelves, built to have more storage, faster internet, and the increase of addiction of the buyers. The first automobile was driven by a German engineer named Karl Benz which reached up to the maximum speed at 10 mph, and now, the SSC Tuatara is now the fastest car in the world with the maximum speed at 316.11 mph. Imagine how technology will evolve in the next 50 years and how people will grow to be more needy on technology, and if technology increases at this rate, the world might change as well as the inhabitants there.
This might lead to the end of the world. It might be the end of the world before it reaches 2071. Technology will now always be a part of everyday life for a human being. It’ll always have a big impact on us since people started creating something new in this world. I don’t know what the future may hold, but I hope that 2071 will be better than what I described.
“To the Residents of 2071”
By: Kyla Davis
To the residents of 2071… I pray we as a society have changed for the better. In the present-day things seem to be falling apart. A plague of terrible events has consumed our world as we know it in the past year, and no one has gone unaffected. Whether it was by the riots, racial mayhem, political pandemonium, coronavirus pandemic, out of control wildfires, or regulations and restrictions that have forever changed our “normal.”
These crises ensured the year 2020 would not only forever be in the minds of most who endured it but also now and continue to shape them. Not one soul could have predicted what the past year would bring, but either way, they are in the past now--at least we hope--and we must move on and look to the future. That is where you, the occupants of 2071, come in. You are our future, and while it is only 50 years from now and the majority of us youth today will still be alive, you, a generation that will be many decades after us, will be the ones deciding how our world is run. The future leaders, mothers, fathers, teachers, mentors, and everything in between, will all be you one day, and that is a big responsibility. So, as someone who knows the past and hopes for the future, I would like to give some advice.
Don't follow blindly.
There are two types of people in this world, leaders, and followers, and as unfortunate as it is, a good portion of leaders think that their views and opinions are the only correct ones while the followers just go along with it. Yes, there are still good and kind leaders and smart, somewhat independent followers, but especially in politics and government campaigns, poor leaders are not uncommon. Take our most recent presidential election for example. The number of people that got angry at the other party and started completely unnecessary arguments was just insane. So many were just blind followers to the ones running and whatever they said about the other candidate was immediately believed. We as Americans seemed like we couldn’t think for ourselves and just wanted to prove the other part wrong.
There are also many more examples of not only us in the present-day but all through history like The Holocaust, which was a big one. Entire books could be written over events and times when we as humans have blindly followed someone or something, but the main simple point is don’t go along with an idea just because others are or it will end up good for you. Think before you act. Make sure that you believe it is the right thing to do without any outside input. I know this might seem like a duh thing that everyone should know but trust me when I say it happens more than anyone understands. Those who do it generally don’t realize they are, which in turn, is why it is one of the biggest reasons it seems to happen time and time again. That is why the generations to come need to be warned, so they don’t keep doing this and other mistakes we as a world -- funny enough -- seem to be repeating. So, on that note, residents of 2071… good luck and no pressure.
“To the Residents of 2071”
By: Allie Hataway
To the Residents of 2071,
Wow. We sure messed up, didn't we? You’ve probably read all about what we have to live through: about our elections, about the protests and riots, and about our shining star-- Covid. And with those hour-long lessons about quarantine and toilet paper, you probably have found 100 different ways we could have handled coronavirus better. And I don't blame you. I'll say it again--we messed up. But I don't think that our main downfall has very much to do with Covid 19.
In America, there are many different cultures, religions, and political beliefs. It’s what I love about America. You're free. And you'd think that, out of the thankfulness of this shared freedom, Americans would unite. It makes sense, right? For the people of a country to be united? Sadly, that is not the case. The America that I know now is not the same America that God has blessed since its beginning. Don't get me wrong. I’m still thankful to live here, and we have made some amazing decisions that changed America for the better--the main one being the abolition of slavery. I’m definitely not saying we should go back to how we were when good old George was still president, when a lot of Americans did not value certain humans’ lives because of the color of their skin. But what I am saying is, the more we separate, the more we drift away from being the America that many men and women have fought, bled, and died for. We have begun to lose ourselves, as Americans and as people, because of the continual fighting between political sides, religions, and races. Rioters in Portland and at the capital are using violence and discourse as weapons against the “other side”. People view others with different beliefs than they as a rival, a contestant in a game no one truly wins. America, the “greatest country in the world”, is destroying itself.
But here’s how the story can get better. It's through a little thing I like to call unity. It’s impossible to expect everyone in America to come together. Some people are always looking for a reason to fight. But if Americans would just pause for a moment and realize that their “enemies” are just fellow Americans who also think that they are fighting for what’s right, then maybe, instead of fighting, we would see and love the people that have been their opponents in a battle that has, so far, only been digging us into a deeper hole. I’m not saying that if we do this that in no time everyone will be best friends, but when we can put aside our differences and see each other as people who want what’s best for our country, then we might stop being so vicious and start working together.
I know it’s a lot to hope that in only 50 years America will be unified, especially seeing the condition it is in now. But I can’t help it. I want a better future for my family and I, and for the generations after us. I don’t want America to be as torn apart in future years as it is now. Wouldn’t you? We the people have the ability to change our path, to change our future. It’s up to us to decide how you, the people 50 years ahead of us, live.
To The Residents of 2071
By Max Cook
We just finished 2020 and how thankful I am that it’s over! 2020 was most definitely nobody's year, with all that happened. A pandemic ran through, destroying nations and devastating families, so many people lost their jobs, their homes, even their lives. Most of the year everyone was in quarantine, except for essential workers, so I even ended my last year of middle school on virtual learning and might have started my first year of high school on one too.
Although at the beginning of the year, months before quarantine even started, my step-dad ended up getting deployed and stuck Mom with me and the other two terrors. When he came back in August, it was time for some late-year spring cleaning, which is pretty fun when you’re at school for most of it. Summer break hadn’t been that different, I had gone up north to my dad’s even though we couldn’t go out and do anything. We visited a relative or two, and then I came back down to start school.
Thankfully, the school had figured out a way to somewhat prevent groups of people going back into two-week quarantine, and they did so by splitting up the student population into two groups, coming to school on alternating days. This made keeping up with school a little harder, but at least we didn't have twenty people quarantining at one time, my biology teacher ended up getting sick, and the only one, as far as I know, that got quarantined because of her was her husband.
A little while after Christmas break had started, the hot cocoa had been pulled out, mainly because of tradition and not because it was cold outside. We tidied up once more, preparing for the tidal wave of presents that were soon to be opened, most of which hadn’t even arrived yet due to the back up in the delivery system. Unsurprisingly, most people had chosen to mail instead of personally deliver the gifts and the system could barely keep up.
“To the Residents of 2071“
By Brooke Burch
50 years from now will be drastically different. Nobody knows what the future will be like, but scientists know what it can be like. According to scientific research, by just 2050, our oceans will have more plastic in them than fish. As of now, there have been a few attempts by conservationists to get the attention of people around the world to limit their plastic use and to “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.” This has always been done by appealing to the good nature of the viewer by showing photos and clips of marine life dying from plastic.
Often in the media we see loggerhead sea turtles with a plastic straw in its nose, but what most people don’t realize is that there’s far more than just sea turtles being affected by our constant abuse of plastic. The Hawaiian monk seal is one of the most endangered species in the world, and nobody acknowledges what is happening to them. There are only about 1,400 Hawaiian monk seals left in the world. This species, among many others, is endangered for a multitude of different factors, but one of the main reasons is plastic. These animals don’t know any better, so when they see plastic floating in the ocean, they assume it’s food.
The way we try to get attention to these animals is all wrong in my opinion. As humans are now, we don’t care about what is happening to the other living creatures of this planet. What everyone doesn’t seem to recognize is that plastic is also affecting us. The plastic straw sitting in a fast food cup will only take 200 years to decompose. All that means is if we keep using plastic as we do, it will still be decomposing in a landfill that might even have robot workers rather than humans. As evidenced by the water pollution and trash, all we care about is how our own lives are affected and to be frank, even when our lives are affected, we don’t do anything. This can be applied to many things that have happened over even the past two years. Two examples could be the wildfires in California or the trash island in the North Pacific Ocean, which happens to be larger than the state of Texas. The wildfires in California have been particularly worrying. My maternal grandmother and aunties live in the San Diego area, so the fires had me on edge for a while. The 2020 California wildfires accounted for a death toll of 31 people, not counting the 200 people that went missing during the same time. The fire itself burned a whole 3.1 million acres of land, with over 3,900 structures burning down as well. Fires as large as this also contribute to the horrible air pollution we have now. According to various studies, air pollution amounts to the deaths of 3.3 million people every year and have been proven to increase the risk of miscarriage by 50 percent.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is exactly what it sounds like, a trash island in the middle of the ocean. This island is composed entirely of plastic and debris that has been swept into the ocean over time. According to marine researchers, a total of 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic is estimated to be in the patch. Similarly, a crate that was found in the ocean was proven to be produced in 1977. We can assume the crate had been in the ocean all this time due to erosion on the surface of the plastic and the discolouration of the top portion of the crate. The plastic will over time deteriorate into small pieces, called microplastics, which then get consumed by marine life. Up to 36.5% of fish have consumed microplastics. Let’s just say someone decides to get grouper from their favourite beachside restaurant. Unknowingly, this person could very well be eating microplastics from the fish.
These man-made materials are not biodegradable. They will probably still be around by the time everyone is busy colonizing Mars. Of course, that only applies if we haven’t created a substance that is even more environmentally hazardous.
“Dear residents of 2071”
By Elizabeth Arnold
As of the year 2021, I do not know what the future holds. All I know is the present, and some of the past. In 2020, there was a global pandemic, which is still going on in the present. The pandemic has led to many people quarantining. When I was quarantined, I turned to the internet to stay in contact with others, and find entertainment.
Now is what could be called the age of the internet. We can talk to and see people who are thousands of miles away from us. We can easily find people with similar interests, through social media. There is more entertainment than a single person could consume in a lifetime. However, sometimes it is hard to pull away from everything on the internet. Many people would rather look at their smartphone than have a conversation with the person standing next to them.
However, I am a bit of a hypocrite when it comes to this statement. I take part in this behavior as much as the next person. It is not a good thing that sometimes I rather scroll through my Twitter feed, than talk to my brother, who is right across the room from me. The internet allows people to connect, but maybe while I am messaging a stranger over Snapchat, I am falling away from the people who are right next to me.
I want to be optimistic about people staying connected, despite all the distractions, but I do not think this problem will get better. Technology has only become more advanced over time. How long before it is so advanced that online interactions could completely replace real ones? How long before the real world doesn't matter?
Although either one of those happening is a stretch, the thought of it is unsettling. Do people even care that we are slowly moving our lives onto the internet? Do they even care about living in the real world? Do they even want to stop living online? An issue has been recognized, but does anyone want to change anything to fix it?
I don't know what will happen in the future. There is no way for me to tell what will happen. Perhaps our issues will be replaced. Only time will tell what changes happen to the world.
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