This year has had its highs and lows. We’ve seen Toronto’s mayor cause worldwide scandal, and a Canadian astronaut bring the country together. We’ve lost inspiring figures and gained a brand new prince. From politics to pop culture, 2013 has made its mark. What will 2014 have in store? With a little bit of research and a pinch of prediction I’ve compiled a likely list.
Advocacy
The Olympic will be about more than medals: The Olympic Games have always been an opportunity for nations to show exactly what they’re made of and this year will be no exception. On February 7th, all eyes will be on Sochi, Russia, and it won’t just be the ski slopes and triple axels that will be scrutinized. Anti-gay legislation has already created a cloud of controversy, and I expect more as the games draw nearer. President Obama has made his thoughts know by sending openly gay former competitors Billie Jean King, Brian Boitano and Caitlin Cahow as the American delegates. The protest will be done subtly in Russia itself, but a message of LGBTQ tolerance and acceptance will be reported throughout the media. With the whole world watching, let’s hope that Canada steps up and takes a stand.
The Catholic Church will find a new flock: The Catholic Church will gain some respect from the millennial generation by becoming more grounded. Pope Francis has already broken down some of the barriers between the papacy and the commoners. He expresses the need to change to reform the attitudes of the church (and about the church) and says “[he] see[s] the Church as a field hospital after battle.” TIME Magazine has even named Pope Francis “Person of the Year.” An updated, more accessible leader will create a more welcoming environment for some. Close-minded views will make others continue to question.
There will be jobs-oh yes-there will be jobs: The sky high, youth unemployment rate will begin to drop in 2014. With the implementation of the Youth Employment Fund and investigations into unpaid internships, young workers will gain more access to entry-level positions in Ontario. Unfortunately, many of these positions will be low-paying and part time, so lucky Millennials will be able to work two or three positions in hopes of paying back their enormous student loans. Many of these terrifying loan payments will be handed to their Baby-Boomer parents, who will put off retirement in order to help support their under-employed children. The cycle continues.
Interviewers will stop asking if we have typing skills and assume that if we are under 35 and have a BA, we are proficient with a computer.
We will make our own jobs: The Millennials will continue to create our own employment through freelance and self start-ups, instead of taking unfulfilling work in fields unrelated to what we want to pursue. This will confuse and annoy the Baby-Boomers.
The idea of education will start to change: The allure of university education will begin to wane near the end of the year. New high school graduates will stop for a moment and think about their future. Their parents will let them. The government will start trying to combat the stigma of working in the (much-needed) trades.
Technology
The internet will stay the internet: The internet will finally take over television as the #1 way people get their news. Streaming will be a viable option over cable. Canadians will rise up against high data caps and high fees for internet usage.
Social Media will continue its takeover: Job searches, social interaction, and daily news will continue to be driven by social media. Twitter will become Facebook, Facebook will become LinkedIn and LinkedIn will become Myspace. Google+ will continue to be something I don’t understand. Pinterest and Tumblr will duke it out in a no holds barred grudge match filled with pictures of do-it-yourself decorating and photo-manipulations of celebrities.
I will always be behind in technology: Tablets will drop in price and dominate the market. E-readers will become obsolete but e-books will be a mainstay for the publishing industry. Print media will stave off death for another year (but just barely).
Pop Culture
The Oscars will be long and unfunny (like every year): The celebration honouring the best in film will be exactly the same as it is every year. There will be very few surprises. Gravity will win all of the effects categories, Jennifer Lawrence will say something inappropriate and 12 Years a Slave will win best picture. I will sit through every minute of it after watching most of the nominated films at the cheap theatre on a Tuesday afternoon.
Monsters and swords will take over: The 2014 film landscape will be over-saturated with “epic” CGI centric science fiction and fantasy tinged blockbusters. Few, if any, will make back the millions of dollars it took to produce them. Studios won’t be able to understand why Kellan Lutz and Aaron Eckhart’s new films failed, and will blame the box office disappointment on the “death of a genre’s popularity” instead of realizing that a good story and interesting characters are actually what holds people’s attention. The Hobbit will continue to make money.
Toronto will continue to be a great place to catch Indie bands: Fresh Print contributor Chad Kirvan or Gary Seward will drag me to Sneaky Dees to see a band that I didn’t know existed. I will enjoy every minute of it and then promptly forget who they were.
One Direction will change the world: Someone will finally catch on that the last three singles from One Direction are blatant rip-offs of better songs from the 60s and 70s. The band will cop to the accusations and admit that The Who, Def Leppard, and The Clash are some of their many musical influences. This will cause a huge surge in the popularity of classic rock in the teen demographic and all will be right with the world. This is not so much a prediction as a pipe dream.
The inevitable: Justin Bieber will be back. No one will be happy about it.
