Society has come a long way over the years, and it often feels like the things we use daily are pretty innovative. However, society is still evolving, and this means many things from our lives will disappear in the next 30 years, just like the following 17 examples.
Landline Phones
By as early as 2025, the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)—the copper network that powers traditional landline communications—will be switched off. Broadband and internet-powered technologies will take center stage, and legacy devices that aren’t enabled with them will immediately become unusable. So, say goodbye to your landline phone!
Keys
In 30 years, keys will be a rarity. Instead, you’ll open doors in your home through fingerprint scanners, voice recognition, or an app on your phone. This will be much more secure; you probably noticed that hotels already prefer key cards, and new cars are ditching keys for key fobs and buttons.
Physical Video Games
When was the last time you bought a physical video game? Most games are already available as digital downloads, but soon, you won’t have a choice. Forbes reports that Microsoft already plans to completely halt the sale of physical games, and other consoles are set to follow.
Plastic Bags
Plastic bags take over 300 years to decompose, and their wide use has put the environment in danger. Because of this, many states like California, Oregon, and New York have already placed bans on their use. It’s only a matter of time before they’re entirely outlawed.
Wired Phone Chargers
Within the next few years, you’ll no longer be dealing with the frustration of detangling wires just to charge your phone. Many people already use wireless chargers for their phones, but this will soon be standardized. This won’t stop at phones either–any device you charge will likely be affected.
Paper
The use of paper bags, wraps, towels, and insulation will likely continue into the far future. However, when it comes to written content such as books and newspapers, we expect that digitalization through smartphones and computers will completely replace them within the next 30 years.
Language Barriers
Soon, language barriers won’t stop you from communicating, no matter where you are in the world. Tools such as Google Translate have already reduced language barriers, but with the AI revolution only just beginning, it’s only a matter of years until having to learn a language will be a thing of the past.
Radio
AM/FM radio stations aren’t the number-one choice anymore for podcasts and music discovery. Platforms like Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Music have diverted the attention of the young audience, and social media now provides a more effective avenue for advertising and public information sharing. Sadly, this will only continue to make the radio obsolete.
Passwords
Passwords can be frustrating to remember, especially the complex passwords that many websites require. However, as Economic Times explains, this will soon be a problem of the past. Companies like Google are already replacing passwords with fingerprints and facial recognition, which we can all agree is far more convenient and secure.
Hard Disk Drives (HDDs)
Faster, tinier, and more energy-efficient solid-state drives (SSDs) have already widely replaced HDDs, but this isn’t the only threat to them. Thanks to its easy access and scalability, cloud storage has become a preferred option for many when backing up data. It’s expected that HDDs will become completely obsolete by 2028.
Remote Controls
Universal remote controls have sprung up to make navigation easier, and soon enough, you’ll no longer have to worry about your remotes getting lost in the back of your couch. You can now use smartphones, tablets, and even your voice to control your TVs and other smart devices.
Physical Bank Branches
Americans have found so much convenience in online banking that only 29% of the population still goes into physical bank branches today. In fact, a 2020 post by Forbes revealed that each year prior, over 2,000 bank branches closed up, and, expectedly, this shows no sign of reversing.
Checkout Points
Self-checkout solutions like Amazon Go enable you to scan items and automatically debit your e-wallets without having to wait in long lines or deal with slow cashiers. Their implementation isn’t perfect yet, but we have no doubt it won’t be long until they make regular checkouts obsolete.
Credit Cards
You already don’t need a physical credit card to make transactions in many stores. Contactless payment technologies have eliminated the need to swipe cards, and these technologies now support digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. Who knows, perhaps you’ll soon be paying with your fingerprint!
Wallets
Speaking of wallets, physical wallets have also been less popular lately. Society is becoming increasingly cashless every day, and as mentioned earlier, physical payment cards are slowly being phased out. What’s more, the New York Post speculates that Gen Z consumers now prefer to store licenses, medical cards, and event tickets digitally.
Glasses
Laser eye surgeries will soon be the number one choice for eye care. They’re already so effective that 80% of people who get them no longer use glasses or contact lenses, as the Mayo Clinic shares. While it’s currently expensive, laser treatment will inevitably become cheaper as the years go by.
Cable TV
Finally, wave goodbye to your Cable TV set. This likely won’t be a tough departure for you, as you probably already watch your favorite shows on a streaming platform. This is the same for most people–consumers now love on-demand content, and the need for cable TV is dying out fast.
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