Youths choose body implants and holograms for future communication, Survey in UK

Polling firm YouGov asked 3,262 children and adults across Britain how they used to communicate, how they do now and how they think young people will talk to each other in 30 years’ time.

Letters and Post-it notes will be replaced by body implants and hologram technology as ways people communicate in the future, a new online survey for Barnardo's reveals.

Polling firm YouGov asked 3,262 children and adults across Britain how they used to communicate, how they do now and how they think young people will talk to each other in 30 years' time. The survey coincides with 30 years since the launch of the world wide web and a new Barnardo's report 'Generation Digital' which urges the Government to introduce new legislation to help protect children online now and in the future. With technology evolving so rapidly, just 13 per cent of 8-18 year-olds and 9 per cent of adults think young people will write messages to each other in 2049.

Holograms were chosen by 28 per cent of adults and 39 per cent of young people as a form of communication in the future, while body and brain implants were picked by 31 per cent of young people and 22 per cent of adults. One in five adults (20 per cent) thought a new language like emojis would be used as did a quarter (25 per cent) of young people. The most popular communication tools of the future were wearables like smartwatches and augmented reality glasses (52 per cent of adults and 60 per cent of young people online). Interestingly, more than half (56 per cent) of young people think they will spend too much time online and not enough time talking to people face to face in the future.

The survey also revealed strong concerns about the internet. More than four in five (83 per cent) feel that being groomed or exploited online and cyberbullied is a risk for young people online. When it comes to using the internet to help them keep safe, most adults and children check it for severe weather (65 per cent of adults and 40 per cent young people), map apps to avoid getting lost (58 per cent adults and 39 per cent young people) and bus and train timetables to avoid waiting alone for long (39 per cent adults and 27 per cent young people).

Barnardo's Chief Executive, Javed Khan said, "In the last 30 years the way children and adults communicate has changed beyond recognition, so it's no surprise that in the next 30 years we are headed towards the stuff of science fiction. The internet and new technologies have transformed how young people learn, play and communicate – but it's also created new risks to children's safety and wellbeing. Our laws and systems must keep pace with technological change so we can protect children effectively on and offline,". He further added, "This requires urgent changes today – like regulating the internet and giving children the skills to stay safe – but also a longer-term commitment from Government, charities, industry, and other partners, to put children first in an ever-changing digital world."

Barnardo's President Natasha Kaplinsky said,"When I look back at my childhood it seems like a whole different world from the one my children are growing up in today. The internet has brought so many exciting opportunities, but it also has its risks. I'm sure I'm not the only parent who struggles to keep up with each new app – but to our children, it's second nature,". She further added, "That's why it is so important to talk to our children about what they're doing online and to make sure they have the confidence to ask for help when they need it. Barnardo's is urging the Government to help protect children online by introducing new regulations without delay so tech companies have a duty to keep children safe,".

(With inputs from Tasneem Abdur-Rashid at Barnardo's, UK)