Happy New Year? Make That Happy New Decade
“Time flies,” is an oft-used adage but when a new decade beckons, it takes on an added dimension. Most of us remember where we were at 12:00 AM on January 1, 2000. Many breathed a sigh of relief when computers didn’t shut down and the world didn’t come to a screeching halt when Y2K came and went. Of course, many consultants toasted to the millions they earned addressing the threat of Y2K posed to their clients.
Before we look forward, let’s glance backward as evidence that time certainly did fly:
Jared Fogle of Subway “fame” was first referenced on January 26, 2000. Wow, that’s a lot of bad commercials.
The first use of Homeland Security to describe a government agency to combat terrorism was February 1, 2001, seven months before 9/11.
On May 14th, 2001, the Chicago Tribune first introduced texting to their readers, “which allows users to punch in a brief message that is instantly transmitted to one receiver.”
How about these short descriptions of things that are now part of our daily vocabulary?
Oct. 29, 2001: The “iPod (is) a $400 pocket-size hard drive that carries up to 1,000 songs in a metallic case about the size of a pack of cigarettes.” (Today, an iPod that holds 1,000 songs costs $100 and is the size of a pack of gum.)
June 17, 2002: “Ringtones constitute only the first movement of an entire symphony of new music services mobile network operators and entertainment companies are planning to offer consumers.”
July 14, 2002: “Phones with digital cameras that shoot and e-mail photos are popular in Asia. … Motorola plans to introduce a camera phone in the U.S. at the end of the year, though it’s unclear whether the phones will take off here.” Try finding a phone with out photo capability.
May 31, 2002: ” ‘American Idol: The Search for a Superstar,’ (is) based on a popular series in England. Musical hopefuls will vie for success, with a celebrity panel of judges knocking them off one by one.”
Other dates of first-blips on the screen: Facebook (May 25, 2004); Wikipedia (Jan. 16, 2005); Sudoku (May 25, 2005); YouTube (Dec. 29, 2005); Taylor Swift (Sept. 28, 2006); Twitter (March 14, 2007) green jobs (April 16, 2007); and Lady Gaga (Aug. 6, 2007)
What’s in Store for the Decade to Come
Disability management? Workers’ Compensation? Rather than predict what is to be we’ll focus on what we hope will come. Let’s start with changes to our industry like more transparency between disability management firms, TPAs/insurance firms and employers. Transparency begets trust and that elevates everybody. Better care, tighter controls on expenses and better bottom lines.
Now, what can we expect by way of innovations, popular culture and the economy? Your guess is as good as ours. However, for those of us who were kids in the 1960s and 1970s the decade won’t be a success unless we see something really cool. Flying cars—Jetsons style.
