To say this past decade's been nothing short of hectic is a vast understatement, a practical disservice to both American and international cultural, political, and societal changes which have come to shape our modern future entering 2020. From changes in mass media consumption, to the rise of new terrorist organizations, the alarming realization of climate change, wars stirred from religious, ethnic, and political struggles, and division defining America, it's hard to believe this decade wasn't an overwhelmingly negative affair. We've lost scores of celebrities that helped us see the world in their own unique lenses, mental illness spiraled into a national epidemic, and the internet's period of decentralized anarchy definitively ended, replaced by a series of corporations controlling a vast majority of web messenger apps and hoarding data for advertiser selling.
But through these past nine years, from twenty-ten to here, we'd be remiss without acknowledging the good. Scientific advancements, the evolution of YouTube into a platform for genuinely amazing content, Marvel's construction of a Cinematic Universe that has revolutionized blockbuster film-making, American Millennial culture, the evolution (or devolution, whatever your stance) of memes, etcetera. 2015 was when I first cohesively discovered the Internet, and during the second half of this decade, I experienced life-changing moments, defining ups and downs that will shape this upcoming stretch of years. While I still reminiscence fondly over the 2000s and first half of this decade, likely empowered by the sheer childhood nostalgia associated with those days, I will face the New Year with excitement and confidence. 2019 hasn't been an easy cakewalk, far from it, it's arguably been the most difficult year of my life for a myriad of reasons. Through it all, writing kept me afloat. Enjoying this span of my time on Earth before adulthood claims it. Let's hope the new decade, the Second Roaring Twenties, will be a period of cultural energy for us all, a decade where our successes outshine our past failures. For prosperity, an empowered people, and for a greater twenty-twenty, let's all come together, recollect, reminiscence, and prepare for the new era. I'll see you all in 2029.
(Oh, upcoming Mandalorian and Star Wars Overviews soon)