Expository Writing

How the Jetson's Impacted Society

(Completed By Student 2015)

The world of science fiction is a fascinating one. For many, it provides an escape into the world of tomorrow, allowing readers to visualize what the world will be like in the future, as well as envision new and exciting technology. Even in the early days of “Sci-Fi”, as it’s called, with works such as Twenty-Thousand Leagues under the Sea by Jules Vernes, authors were creating new and exciting technologies, in this case the submarine. The submarine, however, did become a reality, and had a substantial effect on under-sea exploration and warfare, allowing for attack beneath the surface of the water, and the exploration of oddities under the sea, such as the Titanic. Other sci-fi media, such as the 1960s show “The Jetsons,” taking place in 2062, conjured up many new technologies that, at the time, seemed unbelievable. However, some of these, such as trips to the moon, house-cleaning robots, and video chat, are having a large impact on society today.

One technology featured in “The Jetsons” that is becoming prominent today is commercial space flight. As stated in the “Advertising Age” article “How Much of the Jetsons Futuristic World has Become a Reality,” “Jetting off to the moon is no big thing, and in one episode little Elroy travels there on a Cub Scout trip.” While modern-day technology is still far from this point, many companies are looking to make commercial space flight a reality. One such company is Virgin Galactic, who has performed several successful test flights, and despite some recent setbacks, they are still looking to bring humans into space by next year. This would open many new tourist opportunities to consumers, with the new frontier being open to a wide number of the earth’s populous. Potentially, this could also lead to colonization of the moon, and other astronomical bodies if the demand were high enough. All told, space travel, a dream for the average man in the sixties, is now closer than ever to reality in today’s modern age.

Another technology the Jetsons used was robots. According to the aforementioned article, characters used robots to “complete daily tasks, such as cook and clean and help the characters get dressed.” Today, robots are reaching a comparable level of complexity. Honda’s Asimo, named after acclaimed Isaac Asimov, is a robot that can walk, talk, and interact with humans. Other devices, such as the iRobot Roomba, a robotic Vacuum Cleaner, are popular today with house-keeping. In addition, houses are becoming increasingly reliant on computers, and smartphones to control their functions such as the oven or heating. These types of machines take a massive strain off of house-keepers, with many functions, such as the aforementioned vacuuming, being taken care of. As a result, there is a diminished need for house keepers to stay at the house, opening many new recreational opportunities. In conclusion, robots are steadily changing the way we think about autonomy, as well as house-cleaning.

A final technology predicted by the Jetsons is video chat. The show depicted them as a replacement to phone calls, as “the characters are regularly seen using voice chat, whether it be Jane speaking with her family, or George getting an unwelcome call from Mr. Spacey.” Today, video chat is more than a mere possibility. Apps such as Skype, Facetime, Google voice, and Logitech easily allow consumers to video chat with their friends and family. This technology allows for a more intimate connection between two people who are far away, allowing families to be far away. It is also useful for meetings and the like, enabling leaders to be there” without actually being there. In both the Jetsons and the real world, video chat has a profound effect on relationships in a business and personal sense.

In conclusion, the technology the Jetsons predicted is slowly becoming a future. Trips into space, robots, and video are, or will become, parts of our life in the very near future. As a new era of technology, and thus a new age of sci-fi, are within our reach, it is interesting to see what new technologies will be created, and thus become a reality.