Decade Reflection: The 1980s- Part 2
Technology
The 1980s would see the true beginning over of the age of the computer. As they were becoming more available for the common man, they were also becoming more and more powerful with the new models and people were intrigued to see what would come of it. Microsoft was becoming more prominent as it kept working on its operating systems. NeXT would be born from Job after he would be kicked out of Apple. The GNU Project would lead to a rise of independent programmers and open source ideals. These ideals would be prominent as the Free Software Foundation would find itself requested by the US government to assist in information sharing programs betwee various nations, which the FSF was happy to do so under that said nations followed on the open source ideals. This would finally begin software development earnestly in the Soviet Union along with the FSF gaining traction with their software in China and parts of Latin America. Meanwhile, another similar leap was in the field of video games. While arcades continued to be dominant, especially as a hobby, video game consoles would return in prominence thanks to the Nintendo Entertainment System. Blowing competition out of the water, it renewed faith in the idea. The next major step came with the GamePal, a handheld video game console that could be played on the go. At the same time, video games over on computers were also becoming a fascinating prospect for technology to pursue. While still viewed as a hobby, making games would gradually appeal to more and more young people as a way to make money of artistic merit, especially with the likely evolution of the medium and what could be done with it on an interactive levell.
On a more grander scale, renewable energy has become another massive venue in interest, primarily nuclear power. The urgency emphasized to switch from fossil fuels over to renewable energy would revive nuclear power out of their period of stagnancy and back into prominence. While activists against nuclear power displayed their concern and tried championing solar or wind, further debates showed the current limitations of solar and wind at the time. Additionally, new concerns would be raised on the maintanance and recycling of the parts used for solar and wind power. It was such an unexpected provokation that it lead to renewed interest in solar and wind from a conceptual level, if at the cost of having to give the current limelight over to nuclear power. At the same time, other venues were still being explored for more practical applications such as geothermal and the usage of major water movements such as tidal; no possibility was left off the table in exploring what could be done for it. Additionally, the international efforts for efficiency and safety in nuclear development have been baring fruit with the upcoming Gen III models, which will be implemented over likely during the next decade, with active development and research further optimizing the output. While nuclear power was focusing on coal, petrol and natural gas remained more complicated. The latter did have some hope in the form of biogas, especially biomethane made from waste material, but petroleum remained a difficult task. The concern on the viability of the internal combustion engine in this matter along with other issues was likely began the decline of personal automobile usage, a trend that was likely to continue into the next decade. While those living in rural communities will maintain a need for it along with certain vehicles, for urban and even suburban usage, they were being heavily reconsidered on an individual level and on an infrastructural level. Reinforcing this is new policy had focus on public transportation, especially with the massive expansion of Amtrak into a national rail network and the ongoing electrification project. While some showed skepticism, others pointed Conrail made money for the US government and growing it wouldn't be bad, it was even viewed as part of US duty. Others viewed it as a chance to reduce plane usage, especially given the lackluster nature of fuel efficiency. As such, renewable energy and its various peripherals were also the next new wild west over to explore.
It's unsure what the future holds for other new technology though software remains a big possibility and the growing internet may provide future opportunities for many people. However, future innovations come to solve upcoming problems faced. While renewable energy is a major factor, it is not the only one regarding environmentalism, especially as more and more researchers and experts are widening their scale and looking at the interlinking phases and contributions, such as in construction and the like. One example was on how with the United States clamping down on most disposable plastics and similar materials because of environmental impact and lack of practicality and recyclability, substitutes needed to be found for items that could not be replaced 1 to 1, such as with styrofoam and the like.
Culture
From the rise of pop music to the birth of MTV. To the fantasy action hero fics to the comedies. For many people, the 1980s were viewed as quite a revolutionary time over for pop cultue as well as society. Pop music and pop rock dominated the airwave with alot of hits coming out. Devices like the Walkman and other technologies meant young people could take their music anywhere to listen to. Films became more grandiose and spectacular to watch, especially serving as fantastic escapism from the problems of the real world. At the same time, they also served as mirrors over for the changing times. The focus often on these sort of stories was on rebellion and disassociation of the youth. For the brightbanger generation, born from early 1960s to late 1970s, they grew up during the tougher times of American and many becoming young adults over in the 1980s, getting involved in the protests and civil rights movements at the time. Fueled by frustration of their time in the 1970s and a desire for change, they become the subject for many a speculative adult of the time. This would also be seen in the changes to other mediums. Comic books, mainly those of superhero, would continue the traditions established by the Bronze Age of Comic Books, but the massive wave of social reform, political reform and economic reform would lead to the need to heavily revamp many of the heroes and settings to fit in, starting the Brass Age, named for its similarity to the Bronze Age, yet more beautiful and polished, showing the lessons learned and serving as sort of new Golden Age as many of the characters would be starting off more or less from scratch. Another past time and hobby that would develop would be tabletop gaming, especially
Dungeons & Dragons, which credit the collaborations TSR made with
Dark Crystal and
My Little Pony to popularize it with a familiar setting and establish a simplified rules format. Not to mention the rise in things like video games and more traditional hobbies, shaped by the frugal behavior of the years prior, a pattern which led to the increased visitations to libraries and public parks, patterns that maintained themselves during the 1980s.
Beyond the pop culture sphere though, greater societal trends were happening. After the economic failures of the Reagan administration, many of the general public turned against its associated values and ideals. This stigma and resentment grew in reflection of the previous Republican presidents, which shared similar ideals, even if not to the same extremes. This created a backlash to the rising neoconservative movement of the 1970s, itself a reaction to the 1960s. This backlash would collaborate hand in hand with the successes of the Udall administration regarding their political and economic policies. The massive trust and positivity associated with Udall, Askew and their branch of Democrats meant that many more people were willing to take a chance on the societal progressive ideals. Coincidentally, the backlash to neoconservatism and the opportunity to make reforms would lead to the rise of two prominent societal movements that nonetheless went hand in hand: the SATMIN+ Civil Rights movement and the third wave of feminism. The former would be catalyzed by the HIV epidemic that would be especially prominent among the SATMIN+ coummunity and would shine a spotlight on their issues and troubles. Additionally, other factors had unexpected and fascinating side effects; the creation of the American unviersal single payer healthcare system would lead to a growing number of intersex people learning of their condition and banding together to reassert themselves and identity. The revelation of these people that defined the gender binary in turn would grant more understanding ground for the trans community. The Udall administration, especially Askew, would become more sympathetic and provide aid for the movement to try and achieve their goals, primarily in equal rights in various aspects and protection from discrimination. At the same time, this also catalyzed a new wave of thinking within the SATMIN+ community, especially among the youth and the minority groups there. Inspired by the success and the changing of the times, they looked inwardly and began tackling many of the stereotypes and forcing some introspection, most notably seen with the "queersploitation" film & television craze that began in the late 1980s and would likely continue into the early 1990s.
The other movement would be the third wave of feminism. Here, a combination of factors led to its rise: the issues with the Equal Rights Amendment and attempted sabotage of it, the sex wars within second wave feminism and even the SATMIN+ civil rights movements. Third wave feminism worked to differeniate itself from the second wave by addressing much of its problems, such as its sex negative association, stigma of transwoman and other elements that predated to the first wave, such as minority women getting the short end of the stick. In fact, many minority women who had their roles underappreciated or not seen back in second wave had their great second chace with third wave, their relative anonymity actually benefitting here while still being able to provide wisdom and experience to the fresh blood of the youngest of boomers and the oldest of bright bangers here. With the success of the modernized ERA put into place, they became invigorated to go deeper and handle the more subtangible problems. Misgynonistc and chauvinsitic behavior over in various areas such as work or in the various legal places. One particular and growing ugly battle was in various parts over in the entertainment industry. From rather questionable decisions and portrayals in various films and television shows to uncomfortable and bullying behavor behind the scenes to even the most flat out taboo topics such as the infamous casting couch, alot of these subject became tackled and exposed to a public who were quite surprised and became none too happy about this. Various companies were forced to confront these decisions, with some doing a better job than others in going to the root of the problem rather than try and cover it up. Other instances would eb the demand for greater scrutiny against seemingly powerful men and for responsability to be held against them. From the allegations against Bill Cosby in the past to the accusations of rape toward Donald Trump by his wife at the time (on top of his previous other issues), suspicious behaviors were targeted and a demand for accountability was growing. Hollywood would struggle with this over in the late 1980s and likely coming into the new decade, which some see as a potential opportunity down the line. Ultimately, the time of the 1980s was one of societal change, fueled by a backlash against romanticization of the old and a desire for the new, with these fertile elements likely to shape the early half of the 1990s.
