Group X

Plot/Novum

This new world is situated in the next 20 - 30 years of the future. Since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, major industries have made a permanent shift to remote work. This transition has been particularly notable in sectors that traditionally required physical presence, with businesses realizing significant savings by eliminating the need for large office facilities, maintenance, and utilities. One of the most profound transformations has been in the education sector, where remote learning technologies have become mainstream. In addition to the cost savings from reduced infrastructure needs, government education programs have realized that only a handful of teachers are needed to educate vast numbers of students across the nation. A single educator can now potentially reach thousands of students remotely, providing instruction through digital platforms, webinars, and virtual classrooms. This shift has significantly reduced the cost of education, while also enabling a highly standardized approach to teaching and learning.

Remote Work/Learning

Society has split over this shift to a remote, individualized learning environment. Proponents argue that reallocating funds from physical infrastructure, staffing, and maintenance will lead to a revolutionized education system that caters to each student's personal needs. They believe this approach will empower more tailored learning experiences, with technology used to optimize and address the unique requirements of every student. Supporters also view the savings as a potential boon for the national economy, suggesting that the funds could be redirected toward reducing national debt and addressing the country’s growing healthcare crisis. Additionally, they believe the remote model will help reduce bullying and injuries, as all interactions will be online and monitored by educational institutions. Teachers who are laid off in the process, they argue, could transition into new roles as individual learning plan providers, either hired by the state or directly by parents, further customizing education to the needs of the individual.

On the other hand, there is growing opposition to this shift. Critics point out the mass layoffs of teachers that would result from this model, as well as the potential flaws in a system designed to meet the needs of every student purely through digital platforms. They are particularly concerned that remote education cannot truly replicate the depth of interaction and personalized support that in-person teaching offers. Many skeptics also highlight the ongoing healthcare crisis, with increasing obesity, cardiovascular issues, and mental health problems, which they believe are exacerbated by the shift to more sedentary, screen-dependent lifestyles. The rise in remote work and internet dependency has led to a society where people rarely go outside, rarely speak to one another in person, and struggle with non-digital communication and socialization. Critics argue that the increased surveillance of students, particularly in their own homes, would further erode privacy and create an environment of constant monitoring. They cite the widespread dissatisfaction with remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, where many students experienced poor educational outcomes and fell behind compared to their in-person peers. For them, the future of education should not come at the expense of human connection, quality, and privacy.

Setting

This world is set on Earth 20-30 years post Covid-19, a global pandemic. The Pandemic was accompanied by lockdowns in an effort to curb the spread of the virus. During this time society shifted to a more digital infrastructure. Work, education, and even day to day social interactions became almost exclusively online/ remote experiences. The global community operated in this fashion for 2-3 year. Post pandemic many institutions continued these remote practices. Furthermore, many people became accustomed to the socially remote lifestyles they experienced during lockdowns and have chosen to permanently adjust their lives to a more digital experience. As years went on more individuals chose to live in this way. There was also a general societal shift toward remote work. There were several reasons for this. Many preferred to work from home; it offered extra time in the morning for sleep, and eliminated what in many cases would be considered a frustrating commute to and from the workplace. Reduced commutes were praised as environmentally responsible because less vehicles were on the roads, and less pollutants were being released. Many institutions saw an opportunity to eliminate the costly infrastructure they had to maintain for their businesses. The remaining infrastructure was converted largely into either housing or warehousing locations. Warehouses have become large and more evident. With individuals choosing to stay home services such as amazon have exploded in not only popularity but also necessity. New forms of delivery services have begun to pop up. One such service is drone delivery. Society has largely shifted toward a focus on convenience, and individual needs. Education has changed drastically. Schools no longer exist in the traditional sense. All students attend school virtually from home. Education programs have been standardized and gamified. Some programs utilize AI assistance to cater to students individual needs. Their is hope that future advancements in tech will make education a holistic experience that addresses everyone's individual needs. There are however, large dissent movements present. There is a large minority of individuals who feel that post Covid-19 society has shifted too drastically toward the digital realm. There are regular protests, and a parallel economy is showing signs of developing. This is concerning government officials who view this movement as hindering progress. These movements are often denounced as selfish, and illogically motivated, motivated by an irrational fear of change. There are institutional and government efforts in place to make complacency mandatory in challenging to abstain from. These however, are the only major conflicts currently taking place. The world has become relatively peaceful. Due to the extensive role that the digital world plays in people's lives many keep to them selves. In addition, the digital world is not bound by physical geography, and so many individuals have found commonality with others across the Earth. This has resulted in general peace.

Geography

In the near distant future of World X, it is a sprawling metropolis and a testament to humanity's technological prowess. It also reveals the dark side of unbridled innovation. The city itself is dotted with colossal warehouses, some as vast as entire districts, serving as the heart of an economy that revolves around instant gratification and hyper-connected consumption. Retail giants are continuing to expand beyond the digital realm. Enormous storage facilities hold drones and autonomous vehicles, but are not limited to such entities, as it is always waiting to hold items to be shipped to consumers across the globe. As demand for goods continues to rise, the need for ever-larger storage units grows, creating a web of warehouses and distribution hubs stretching into the horizon. In stark contrast to this high-tech utopia, the ground beneath the city is a toxic graveyard of electronic waste. Massive recycling complexes process the discarded remnants of obsolete gadgets, phones, and drones. Landfills teem with piles of broken circuits and lethal metals leaching into the earth. This serves as a reminder of the environmental costs of constant technological evolution. Despite the advancements in recycling tech, much of the waste remains improperly handled, and toxic materials continue to plague the ecosystem, creating a landscape eerily reminiscent of the dystopian future depicted in the movie Wall-E by Disney's Pixar. Everywhere, technology is intertwined with daily life, but at what cost to the planet and its inhabitants is a question that continues to be discussed.

Politics

Politics of this time period are complicated as the world evolves into a fragmented society where individuals are the centralization of their own worlds —from education to healthcare and even their social roles. The state is divided into micro-zones, each designed to cater to the unique needs of its citizens, with policies and systems tailored to their personal data profiles. Every citizen has a hyper-individualized plan based on predictive algorithms. (Everything from career paths to medical treatments are meticulously managed by a vast network of data-driven systems.) The government have transitioned away from collective policies towards a hyper-focus individualism, where the success of society is measured by the well-being of its members on a personalized scale. However, this focus on individualism has led to profound complications. The societal fabric, once held together by shared values and collective goals, is now fraying. Education, for example, is standardized nationally through a series of high-stakes tests and assessments, with every student subjected to a one-size-fits-all evaluation model that ignores diverse learning needs and cultural contexts. While some people excel in this data-driven system, many others, particularly those with learning exceptionalities or those from underrepresented backgrounds, fall through the cracks. The pressure to perform according to these metrics has created an overwhelming sense of competition, isolating people and fostering inequality, as those with the most resources and data access thrive, while the disadvantaged are left behind. Health systems, too, are optimized for individual outcomes, but this results in over-medicalization for some and neglect for others, as disparities in access to treatment grow wider. As each person’s path is meticulously crafted by algorithms, human connection and solidarity are sacrificed, and a sense of community is lost in the pursuit of personal optimization. In this new world, the focus on the individual may have promised progress, but it has come at the expense of unity, trust, and the common good.

Schooling

Schooling has drastically changed in the last several decades. Post Covid-19 institutions around the world began shifting from in-person to remote work. Physical infrastructure has been abandoned in favor of digital infrastructure. Education and Schooling were first to initialize this change. The students' homes and bedrooms have become the modern school and classroom. Government Education Departments saw a massive financial savings opportunity. Eliminating Physical schools cut maintenance costs. Initially, digital classrooms were lead by teachers. However, very rapidly the teacher was replaced by individually catered education programs, often utilizing AI assistance technology to supplement traditional teaching support. Citizens are reassured that these AI assistance are the most efficient and effective tools for individually catered educational experiences. The best programs, for those who can afford to the premiums, leverage VR (Virtual Reality) and AR (Augmented Reality) technology. Current advancements in technology are poised to offer haptic feedback technology, the ability to feel physical feedback such as the sensation of touch and weight in virtual reality, in the next 5-10 years. Students In these premium programs are promised an education with essentially limitless possibilities. Through the metaverse the students experience "the world" and all "imagined worlds" as their school/classrooms. This is the vision and pinnacle of education being sold by the Government. However, the current reality is different. AI assistance are not offered with every program. Furthermore, many AI programs have been accused of bias in their coding. The Vast majority do not have access to VR or AR technology due to the financial barriers which exist in procuring and maintaining these devices. In fact cost has become a major challenge for many; as Education Departments saved on infrastructure costs, many costs associated with providing a quality education have shifted onto parents. Without access to expensive tech, most students are trapped in their rooms and in their homes for the majority of the year. Many students have embraced this isolation, becoming social recluses, only socializing with their digital communities.

Socialization Systems

Majority of socialization occurs through digital mediums. Most people experience in person socialization with immediate family living in the same household. Due to the nature of society becoming largely isolated in the digital realm; social interactions have become rare and often awkward and uncomfortable. A number of programs and initiatives have been undertaken to address this issue. There are now emerging industries whose role is to help individuals regain social skills. Several programs include:

Infant Socialization groups - Research suggests that infants require socialization with peers and adults in order to properly develop. Language and communication skills suffer when infants lack opportunities to socialize. This has become a prevailing issue among the new generation of youth.

Socialization groups (Adult Education) - Adults social education groups have arisen out of necessity. People have found that meeting partners online has become easier, however, connecting in person has become challenging. Both private and government entities. Private organizations have identified this form of education as a profitable opportunity. Governments, became motivated when population decline occurred.

Teen behavior adjustment therapy - Many parents have begun to seek help in socializing their children, especially during puberty. Parents have reported struggles educating their children on behavior regulation. Many parents struggle with socialization themselves, and are not well equipped to handle the complexity of hormonal changes in behavior.

Professional Social Skills - Few industries exist that still require face to face interaction; however, those that due often hire third party organizations which help train their employees to communicate, and negotiate with clients/ business partners.

Culture and Community

Culture and Community are fundamentally transformed by the pervasive integration of digital technologies. The world is shaped by hyperconnectivity, where the Internet of Things (IoT), hyper-surveillance, and remote systems redefine how people interact, live, and work. While digital integration brings the world closer, it fosters feelings of loneliness, individualism, and disconnection. The shift to a predominantly online existence has created a cultural and societal phenomenon where physical, geographically proximal individuals, which would have been traditionally considered communities and shared cultures, have little or nothing in common. Communities and cultures are now defined by individual's participation in online communities distinguished by their choice in digital platforms and forums.

Digital-Driven Lifestyle

The digital age has restructured daily life, with society operating almost entirely online. Physical infrastructure is designed to support high-speed, reliable internet access and constant connectivity through cameras embedded in devices. And so a Remote lifestyle dominated. Industries like education, healthcare, and corporate work have shifted to remote models, reducing the need for physical spaces. Traditional skills, such as writing with pen and paper, are becoming obsolete, and private vehicle usage has declined, replaced by fleets of delivery systems that monopolize roadways. Community life thrives on virtual platforms, where connections are formed through shared digital interests rather than geographic proximity. Relationships are often transactional, mediated by technology rather than genuine interpersonal bonds. Achievements became gamified. Success is measured through virtual milestones that function as currency and markers of social status. Gamified platforms rank individuals, perpetuating competitive hierarchies. Traditional cultural celebrations are replaced by AI-driven events, such as "Eliza Day," which commemorates the rise of artificial intelligence. These rituals occur in immersive virtual reality (VR) environments, allowing participants to engage in isolated settings.

Emotional Disconnect & Health

The shift to a digital-first society has significantly impacted emotional and social well-being, fostering widespread isolation and alienation. Face-to-face interactions have become increasingly rare, while over-surveillance, including constant monitoring through cameras and digital platforms, has exacerbated feelings of worry. Resulting in normalized and pervasive mental health challenges such as anxiety and depression. Reports of Agoraphobia (The fear of outside) have become common place; in-person socialization is considered an occasional necessary nuisance and stirs anxiety in many.

The decline in natural, in-person relationship-building has led to the deterioration of fundamental social skills. In response, industries dedicated to teaching emotional expression and interpersonal communication have emerged. Professionals in "Emotional Expression Studies," often referred to as emotional intelligence tutors, now offer services to help individuals relearn basic social and emotional competencies. These tutors fill the gap left by a lack of organic, emotional interactions, commodifying emotional well-being and making it a skill that must often be purchased. As these human-to-human connections weaken, the reliance on emotional support animals has grown. These animals provide companionship and emotional stability in a world where meaningful interpersonal relationships are increasingly difficult to maintain. This shift has contributed to broader societal changes, including a decline in marriage and birth rates, as many individuals prioritize emotional bonds with animals over traditional relationships.

The lack of physical activity associated with a digital-first lifestyle has led to widespread health concerns. In response, there is growing interest in innovative healthcare technologies that prioritize convenience and immediacy. Unlike traditional methods where only a few individuals adopted such technologies, these tools are becoming ubiquitous, with society moving towards universal adoption.

• Wearable/Injectable Devices: Advanced devices capable of real-time health monitoring, offering immediate feedback on physiological changes.
• Centralized Health Databases: Systems that store and manage health records in a central repository, allowing medical professionals to access patient information efficiently. For instance, scanning where the injectable is can replace the need for physical health cards.

Sensory & Environmental Impact

The world feels both noisy and silent—technologically noisy with constant digital notifications but physically silent due to the absence of human voices and community gatherings. This dichotomy creates a sensory void, deepening feelings of solitude and alienation. The dominance of delivery vehicles on roads contributes to air pollution, discouraging outdoor activities and reinforcing an indoor, digital-focused lifestyle. Shared societal routines and traditional markers of time, such as the distinction between day and night, have been abandoned. Personalized schedules dominate, creating a world where individuals operate in isolated temporal bubbles. Leading to innovations like switchable window tints—where windows that can be darkened or cleared with the flip of a switch—reflect the need for flexible living environments in an era where natural light and shared rhythms are less significant.

Diary Entries

Matthias

Laurel

Ushieja

Ayla