Many things have indeed changed. 50 years ago, is a good example, because most elders would know what really changed. Few GenY today asked, if we, the homo sapiens are really heading towards a better future. I would say not at all, we are living in a world of lies today. We say we save lives with technologies improved, we say we have better education available to more people with the power of the internet. As an Architecture student, I learnt how housing changes from traditional to the method, it’s already a good precedence study itself.
50 years ago in Kampung, local architects will know local cultures and adapt their designs to fit the locals. and they all live in the same community as the villagers, no bribes involve, a village is a family then. Now, most of us don’t even know who is the architect of our house, and with us feeling the lack of personalised identity of the house, and often we get cheated for the cost of the house and the quality we get.
50 years ago, neighbourhood lives and die together as one big community, today most of us are not even aware of our own neighbours and travelling far and updating our far friends via different social media approaches. Why not? because it’s not important to know our neighbour and we just can’t blame them if our house is broken in then.
50 years ago, before the industrial revolution happens. Brands hardly emerge. everything was localised, people learn the best to eat localised food and have their local food to be their pride. Now, Food has “Names” of them, it’s branded, it’s being exported to around the world. For an instant, Malaysians can get the best tiles from Italy or Fabric from the middle east but never really use the local timbers and explore its best usage for a local use. People don’t even really recognise the trademark or pride of their local items anymore.
50 years ago, education was not for all, people learn by experience, they go through it and they often have a desire to chase after. Now, many people are hearing other people’s stories instead through social media and most of the time don’t really have a sense of direction in what we do.
50 years ago, people live by hearing news by the press or slow means. Today Internet appears, but means anyone who doesn’t have an internet connection is deeply left behind and this causes the gap.
50 years ago, youths would bring their rifles to the battlefield and fight for their countries, but Now, youth could even hardly walk across the street to vote for the nation’s future.
50 years ago, our population was 2 billion, and now we have close to 7 billion and soon after 50 years, we expect to have 12 billion.
50 years ago, farms were really localised but today we have farm factories and transporting meats over long distances.
50 years ago, more people died in war compared to today, but lesser people suicide compared to today’s modern societies.
50 years ago, people would not have iPod or technologies today but they learn a lot of things from Mother Nature on communication with the weathers.
50 years ago, 70% of Malaysia population lives in outskirts but today the other round happen with 70% staying in Cities.
I could go on with many 50 years ago, I believe you could too. Everyone can relate to the big difference of 50 years ago, but the world 50 years ago is not really as different as 100 years ago compared to where we are right now!
But here is the question, are we really having a happy century, we are living in 21st century today. We have so many large-scale problems of this century that it all comes up to a saying if we can survive this first half of 21st century, then we will survive. If we can’t, we don’t We are on the merge on human extinction, some say that, and it’s true because many have believed the signs have been near. Things who never happened came true.
We have all the signs here. GLOBAL WARMING, EXCESSIVE POPULATION GROWTH, WATER SHORTAGES, DESTRUCTION OF LIFE IN THE OCEANS, MASS FAMINE IN ILL-ORGANIZED COUNTRIES , THE SPREAD OF DESERTS, PANDEMICS AIDS, EXTREME POVERTY, GROWTH OF SHANTYCITIES, UNSTOPPABLE GLOBAL MIGRATIONS, NON-STATE ACTORS WITH EXTREME WEAPONS, VIOLENT RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM, RUNAWAY COMPUTER INTELLIGENCE,. WAR THAT COULD END CIVILIZATION, RISKS TO HOMO SAPIEN’S EXISTENCE, A NEW DARK AGE.
Few of us could notice, but even few of us can understand and really take action for it because life just seems so comfortable. There is a calling, you know whether you have answered it. I see Hopes, I see many Gen Y are rising up and understanding these things are happening.
There are more than meets the eyes. Some have seen an experienced it and changed their lives. Most of us just want the typical system of life, get an education, get love, get married, family and all the big money coming in. But I see so many give up on this system because really the world is at stake and it’s time to act.
50 years ago was really a happiness to both mother nature and many people, Now, today, some of us even wonder what is happiness.
Let’s ALL be really aware before it’s too late.
