The Future of Love and Sex
Yale historian Robin Winks once observed that writing history is “like nailing jelly to the wall.” But, he added, “someone must keep trying.” Trying to describe sweeping historical trends and then to predict future trends is even more difficult. This chapter considers futurists’ predictions as to the social, economic, and behavioral advances we might expect in the next 50 years. The predictions are divided into three categories: technological transformations, economic and practical changes, and cultural alterations in general attitudes. The future of love and sex is discussed in the context of these changes, along with trends in globalization. Since we tend to think technology may be the major driver of change in history, the chapter starts there.