Challenges+for+the+World+in+the+Next+25+Years+Smith

=** Challenges for the World in the Next 25 Years **=

Global trends future generations will face are going to be beneficial and harmful. To experience more positive outcomes, people need to be open to changes occurring and be flexible when there are unexpected outcomes. From almost every country in my group, homelessness was cited as a current problem in their communities. This problem will continue to grow in the next 25 years. Steps need to be taken to educate all citizens interacting within a community. Schools need to reach out and help train citizens and arm them with work skills and basic literacy and English classes. There need to be mentors for adults. There are adults that are considered illiterate because of their lack of knowledge filling out forms. Individuals need to adopt a sympathetic attitude towards others. There needs to be a change from thinking for one self, to thinking about the greater good. People need to be trained to be compassionate towards others. This attitude will encourage good will and make enormous positive changes in communities.

Another trend I am seeing is increased garbage. Citizens here in America are using more and more packaging; with food and common household supplies. The garbage dumps are already filling up. Michigan has a ten cent deposit on carbonated beverages. This encourages people to bring back their bottles and cans for the refund. I believe if every state adopted this type of bottle return progress would be made to cut down on trash. I also think we could apply this principle to plastic bags. Another area I see excessive garbage being produced is in lunchrooms. There are hundreds of Styrofoam trays being used and thrown out every day at the school where I teach. This means across the country there are thousands of trays thrown away daily. Styrofoam is one of the products where it is still undetermined whether it will decompose or not. In the next 25 years, steps can be made to come up with a less demanding of the environment alternative, such as reusable trays and utensils. The increased amount of garbage will also attribute to increased pollution, harming the environment and wildlife. Functioning adults will need to become contentious about what they use and what they throw out. To develop this mindset, we need to begin now. There needs to be incentives along with positive role models.

Technology in my lifetime has boomed! I cannot fathom what will be available for purchase in 2037. Many of the jobs and careers currently hiring a massive amount of workers will no longer be required to be completed by humans. Technology and machines will be able to assemble a multitude of equipment and possessions. This may lead to poverty. Jobs need to be created that cannot be replaced by machinery. Citizens need to become more creative thinkers. To accomplish this, public school curriculum needs to incorporate more technology and 21st century skills and less of a focus on rote memorization. There also needs to be some leeway in the learning process. Math and science are very important but should not be required to complete four years of it for every child in high school, the arts need to be included as well. Advanced thinking is attained by persons who think creatively. Creativity needs to be celebrated!

There will be many changes in the next 25 years. There will be changes in the daily items used, changes in the packaging of foods and changes in the career opportunities for young adults entering the workplace. Citizens need to be aware of these changes and stay abreast of the new technologies around them. Collaboration needs to occur across the world with the sharing of ideas. Before us now lies an enormous responsibility. We all need to work together to ensure a better tomorrow for the next generation.