1st March is designated as World Future Day and what better day for Hong Kong Radio 3’s Phil Whelan – @PhilRTHK – and I to look back at what we thought the Future might be from a 1980’s perspective, with the rise of the Personal Computer and the beginnings of the internet; through to the 90’s with global digital brands like Yahoo, AOL and Nokia and into today’s next big things of driverless cars and virtual reality.

Underpinning all of this is my notion that we are at the beginning of a cultural digital revolution which for the first time ever in humanity is not being defined by geographical borders and people, but rather by a shapeless digital world that’s connecting up 3.5 billion digital inhabitants across 180 different countries, speaking in excess of 2,500 languages, following 4,200 religions or not, all haphazardly coming together for anything from brief moments of interaction to ongoing conversations of necessity.

In this evolving digital world whose culture dominates? Which language is used more often? Whose values are upheld? and if we are moving from a world of 3.5 billion digital inhabitants today to a world of 5.5 billion digital inhabitants in 2020, how might this revolution evolve and what impact might it have on Future life, work, love, family, education and being human?

A fascinating topic, have a listen now (12 minutes 57 seconds) and then add your thoughts to this growing issue.