Kids from the 1960s were asked to imagine life in the year 2000 — their predictions are eerily accurate

They say kids today are smarter, more inquisitive, and better exposed to knowledge than ever. However, it takes only a clip from 1966 to change people's perspective and doubt everything they had been thinking so far. Originally aired on December 28, 1966, as part of the BBC's "Tomorrow’s World," the video featured children imagining life in the year 2000, and their predictions were so accurate that it almost felt unreal. A part of the astonishing video shared on X has received an overwhelming response from people online. 

Kids from the 1960s were asked how they thought the world would look in the year 2000, and their response was nothing short of a dark reality of the so-called modern world. "I think people will be regarded more as statistics than as actual people," a boy said, hinting at how people in the future may not be valued for who they are but rather be treated as mere numbers or statistics. Further, a girl in the video said, "I don't think it's going to be so nice," explaining how boredom would take over mankind with machines ruling the world. "First of all, those computers are taking over now — computers and automation — and in the year 2000, there just won't be enough jobs to go around. And the only jobs there will be, will be for people with high IQ," another girl said, without even knowing how Artificial Intelligence (AI) would be decimating human jobs. Now, strangely, this very prediction has become a harsh reality. In fact, according to a report by the BBC citing Goldman Sachs, AI could replace the equivalent of 300 million full-time jobs. With more automation and machine learning, the class divide is rapidly growing as the only jobs left are at both extremes of the spectrum: CEO or manual laborer. 

Meanwhile, netizens were shocked beyond words, seeing the kids predict the future with so much accuracy. For instance, @ortatech83 commented, "It's amazing how centered those children were back in the day, how they spoke and imagined how it would be in the future; they were pretty accurate. But children nowadays have been poisoned by stupid apps and videos online." Similarly, @cinnahblank wrote, "That first statement is terrifyingly true now in the age of social media — nobody here is a person; we're all just numbers and statistics to be exploited by billionaires." @dominicelacasse shared, "As a person who is alive now, I'm just stunned to see children, or anyone really, speaking in full sentences and knowing how to use words like 'regarded.'"

@real_sonofmia commented, "It's an algorithm; the big-brain generation still exists somewhere, but mostly the new generation got destroyed by the algorithm based on what they search on the internet, destroyed by 'people' who control that algorithm, because destroying a whole nation can start with destroying a child." Another user who goes by @gypsy_lovell on X said, "The level of maturity and discipline in speaking is very telling. The internet and social media have destroyed many people's ability to speak so eloquently and think so rationally. We have failed our children as a society." Someone else on the platform, @nathacha040420, pointed out, "The time when children were more into knowledge seeking. Today you'd find children posting Tiktoks or doing stupid things to get trending."

 You can follow Historic Vids (@historyinmemes) on X for more viral content.