The last decade has been witness to a flurry of social, technological, and political change which has certainly impacted culture and cultural outputs.
In the last few years especially, the world has changed significantly, and it looks as if cultural outputs around the world are only going to change more as time goes on.
Although there have been many different cultural changes and shifts over the past 10 years, below are a few of the most significant changes we have seen.
The digital revolution
The digital revolution has changed nearly every aspect of everyday life. Whether it is the currency we use, the way we communicate, how we shop, or how we navigate through the world, it has all been shaped and changed by digitization.
Culture has also become digitalized, as we are certainly all aware. One of the biggest cultural changes has been the way that we have fun and find entertainment. For example, the video game industry is now set to eclipse the movie and music industries in terms of popularity and profitability.
Another area that has significantly changed is how we play games of chance or gamble. Online casinos were formerly considered to be used mostly for the novelty aspect, however, over the course of the last 10 years, they have become incredibly popular.
Online casinos are now set to overtake brick-and-mortar casinos in both popularity and profitability in the next few years.
This may surprise some, but online casinos such as skycitycasino.com have cornered the market by offering gamblers extensive game libraries which cannot be found in physical casinos. Online casinos have also grown in popularity due to their convenience and portability, just like many other digital services.
Culture consumption trends
Another seismic shift that has occurred relates to the ways in which we now consume culture and entertainment. Although the topic has been talked about to death, it is worth taking a moment to reflect on just how significant a change there has been.
Instead of buying CDs, stereos, and cable packages, most consumers now have subscriptions to various services such as Spotify, Netflix, and Disney+. This has essentially broken the iron grip which the recording industry and film industry previously had over production.
The result has been that many more shows, artists and movies than ever before are finding that they have a platform, an audience and a chance at success.
This model certainly is not perfect, as the pitiful payments from Spotify illustrate. That being said, this new form of media consumption is still in its infancy and it is likely to change and adapt in the future. The important thing is ensuring that it changes into a more equitable system.
Our relationship with nature
Scientists and activists have been warning about climate change for decades, but only in the last few years have we really begun to experience the effects of mass industrialization and pollution.
As it becomes increasingly difficult to ignore climate change and its impacts, our social and cultural connection with nature has begun to change and will likely change more as the climate becomes more extreme and unforgiving.
It has now become much more commonplace for people to express their support for environmental measures and there is increased awareness and acceptance of people who are fighting for vegan diets, animal rights or better climate change policies.
This has had a cultural impact as well as allowed climate consciousness to seep into our everyday understanding of the world around us and how we perceive ourselves.
Social justice and #metoo
The impact of social justice and #metoo is undeniable. Conversations are now being had every day, which even 10 years ago would have been considered awkward, extreme or unnecessary.
The place of underrepresented and oppressed demographics in professional and academic settings has been reconsidered, but perhaps the biggest change of all has been a cultural shift.
There is now less tolerance for bigoted perspectives in cultural outputs than previously existed. Casual misogyny, racism and homophobia are not tolerated in the same way they once were.
This has not necessarily solved any issues, but it is certainly a step towards greater equitable changes being made in the future.
These are just a small handful of the many ways in which culture has changed and developed over the course of the last 10 years. It is certainly daunting to consider just how different our lives and culture might be in another 10 years.