The 2020s are upon us. We’re now well over a week into this new decade and none one can deny it’s already been a rocky ride. If you disagree, please accept this refresher on the first few days of this new era:

• Serious threats of a new World War emerged.
• A civilian plane was shot out of the sky.
• The disgraced boss of the world’s largest car manufacturer escaped Japan in a box. A box…
• A whole continent is on fire.
• Prince Harry said ‘Adios’ to the Royal Family .
• It was 20 degrees Celsius on the East Coast of the U.S in the middle of January.
• Someone launched a $15,000 ‘Smart’ toilet at the CES in Las Vegas.

I don’t remember how the 2010s started but I’m guessing they didn’t begin with such a bang. How will things develop from here? I have absolutely no clue, but I’ll have a jab at predicting the future.

Will the 2020s bring about a new global conflict? I sincerely doubt it. We might see an increase of tensions between old foes. Perhaps a string of proxy wars reminiscent of the Cold War days. Some large-scale hacks, which could potentially bring countries to their knees. A direct, violent conflict however is unlikely. It isn’t in any one’s interest and there are better, more economical ways to wage war and inflict damage upon your enemy.

Dear Americans, don’t worry about getting drafted. It’s not happening. If it does… Ask your commander-in-chief for tips, he’s dodged a draft before.

In terms of Tech, things will FOR SURE get exciting. First on the list, we can expect a whole bunch of foldable devices. This year’s CES was flushed with an abundance of these devices. Samsung’s already released one. It was an abhorrent failure but the Korean giant endures massive blunders on a regular basis.

This is the decade where this new tech is finally ready to enjoy a mass-market success. I, for one, can’t wait to have a massive 10 inch screen fit snuggly in my pocket. I do however fear for the future of lower-end iPads. Will they survive our new foldable future? I hear Tim Cook is loosing sleep about it.

I also more than expect for the market to be flooded with even more ‘Smart Things’ and Alexa enabled objects. Glasses, bedside tables, shoes, cupboards – all of these things will become ‘smart’. Drinking from a glass without asking Alexa first will be considered a complete and total lack of etiquette by the year 2035. Alexa Sex Dolls will also become an essential item in every household.

On a more serious note, advances in Medical Tech might finally give the kiss of death to a string of terrible diseases including but not limited to Alzheimers, Cancer, HIV and Parkinsons. I believe we can also expect carbon-capture and desalination technologies to save us from the horrific consequences of Global Warming.

Finally, I think we can fully expect the trend of far-right politicians coming to power to keep going for a number of years. Increase in automation might also lead to millions losing their job and inevitably to social unrest. Hopefully, we can find a solution to that problem too. If not… we’ll still have some sweet foldable screens and for the luckier amongst us – a $15k smart toilet.