For a variety of reasons, there has been a lot of 1990s nostalgia around recently, with many articles and social media posts looking back at the elements that shaped the childhood of millennials. Inevitably with that era, there is a lot of focus on the nascent technology of the early days of the internet and mobile phones, with things like AOL, MSN Messenger, Napster, Ask Jeeves, Nokia phones, Nintendo 64, and MP3 players throwing up some fond memories.
Of course, at the time, everyone thought that this was the height of technology. We were amazed at dial-up internet and SMS text messaging, unaware that it would one day be looked back upon as archaic. So, it got us thinking about the tech of this decade. What are the phenomena of the 2020s? What will be looking back at in the 2050s as the tech trends that defined the decade? Below, we parse out some of those trends:
AI Chatbots
It had to be top of the list. Of course, we could write a whole list about AI tools – from vibe coding assistants to video generators – but we will settle for the most impactful applications, at least for now. The likes of ChatGPT have had a tremendous impact – for good or ill – and it’ll be interesting to see how they develop. Most likely, we will be looking back and seeing the early signs of the agentic web, where bots (we are already seeing this with OpenClaw) can go online to perform tasks without our input.
BNPL
Hmmmm. It’s almost certain that some countries will ban buy-now-pay-later embedded finance tools, specifically the ones that charge high amounts of interest. Still, the likes of Klarna, which lets you pay for purchases in installments, are very 2020s. Or more aptly, it is the ubiquitousness of BNPL that is the trend. The concept of BNPL has been around for decades, but the fact that you can now finance the purchase of a burrito is a 2020s thing, and maybe not a good thing.
Direct Creator Economic Tools
We’ll cite a risqué example for this one – OnlyFans. Aside from the controversial nature of the content, it is an interesting example of the advantages and pitfalls of direct creator economies. Some have said that OnlyFans is empowering, yet there are criticisms that the platform itself extorts its creators. You can apply that to many other platforms that allow creators to earn directly. It’s great at the top, but oh so tough at the bottom.
Prediction Markets
A new trend that is sweeping the internet. Prediction markets allow you to trade just about anything. Initially, these platforms were niche and focused on cryptocurrencies, but they have ballooned into the mainstream. For instance, DraftKings launched online prediction markets in 2026, allowing you to trade sports games, financials and politics in a marketplace against other users.
Cryptocurrency
Here’s an area where we are simply not sure what the endgame is. Yes, Bitcoin was in 2009, but the cryptocurrency sector reached its zenith in the 2020s. For proponents, it’s the future of finance, with concepts like the tokenization of assets and stablecoins on the blockchain. For detractors, it’s a series of elaborate Ponzi schemes doomed to fail. To be fair, traditional finance has embraced crypto – see BlackRock as an example – so it has longevity, but there’s a fair chance that future generations will all be laughing at the NFT craze of the early 2020s. They already are.
VR/AR
VR has long been predicted to be the next big thing, but it’s always “tomorrow”. There have already been some missteps – look at Meta’s abandonment of the Metaverse, as well as Apple’s struggles with the Vision Pro. Yet, VR/AR is growing at a steady clip in everything from gaming arcades to museum tours. Arguably, it’s still waiting for its big breakout moment, though.
Short-Form Video
We will finish with something that might be here to stay or might be looked back upon as a craze that was akin to a plague. Reels, YouTube Shorts, TikTok – they have all conquered social media. And it is causing a lot of concern. There is even a recognition of short-form video addiction by public health services. We don’t want to criticize creators, but surely there are better ways for us to consume media.
By Amey Myers
