Communication in 2030

One thing about the future that people never seem to tire of is making predictions about it. Recently, the U.S. Intelligence Council projected that the world's world population will increase over the next 15 years from its current total of 7.1 billion to over 8.3 billion. Putting aside the reality of this being a significant jump,  the question is: what will such a dramatic change mean? How will the reality of a greater world population affect our planet? According to the IC, the increase will unleash a series of dilemmas that will be nothing less than "game changers." 

An increasing number of border issues, a strain on the world's food and water supply, an inprecidented demand for the construction of new housing and transportation services, and a threat to the living standards of older nations will be in all likelihood what happens by or around 2030. By themselves and collectively, the predictions touch all key aspects of life, including economics, politics, life styles, and relationships ranging between individuals and nations. How will these shifts affect how we communicate? In raising such a question, I am not so much concerned about the tools that will be used or the channels folks that will tap into to help facilitate their interactions. Rather, my concern revolves around the quality.

With more people in the world and the added strain on life styles and food supply, for example, will there be more tension in the communicating that occurs between people? Will there will be less trust or openness? Will people be less inclined to share personal information and, conversely, be more apt to have their own agendas instead of pursuing relationships of mutuality? I raise these questions - negative in tone - because given what the IC is predicting, I am not optimistic about the future state of communication. Tension does not always bring out the best in how well people communicate. Perhaps we should begin learning how to communicate more effectively during times of stress.