A Look Back on a Decade

Without fail, the end of any year brings about a lot of different lists of the top highlights or memorable moments that year. It’s the time we look back, momentarily. And then we begin anew, focusing our sights ahead on the new year. As I reflect on not only the past year but the past decade, there are a few memorable events that happened that I want to give recognition to before we move on into 2020. While we’ve pedaled backward in some areas, we’ve made some progress in others; and that gives me hope. Here is my very short (I don’t want to bore you) PositLive list of highlights of the past decade.

Without further ado:

A Technological Leap Forward

It’s hard to imagine that it was only ten years ago that the first IPad was introduced (2010). The timing is quite fitting because the past 10 years since 2010 has seen a great leap forward in all kinds of technology, with major advances in things like artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), and even smart devices with capabilities we would never have imagined ten years ago.

The Viral Videos & Photos

From “planking” (2011) to the Bottle Cap Challenge (2019), we were obsessed with uploading and/or watching videos of ourselves trying to perform a certain feat; whether it’s a dance move or a difficult challenge. In the case of the Ice Bucket Challenge (2014), we saw that viral videos are not just for fun and games. They can be a powerful tool for change. Then there was the worldwide internet debate over whether the color of a dress was actually blue (2015). This showcased how much more global and connected the world’s become, with news and information spreading at an increasingly faster pace.

The Environmental Wins

With the world’s biodiversity and the polar ice cap disappearing, there were, thankfully, some environmental wins worth celebrating. A few endangered species escaped extinction, such as the world’s smallest fox, which has had the fasted repopulation of any endangered mammal in history; ultimately being taken out of the Endangered Species List (2018). The past decade (2010-2019) has also seen an increase in youth involvement in environmental and social issues.

A Collective Pat on the Back

In general, we’ve seen better health habits in the past decade. As of 2018, cigarette use was the lowest it’s ever been in the U.S. since 1965 when the CDC started collecting data. And in France, the number of daily smokers has dropped drastically. Furthermore, according to Brookings (2018), the majority of mankind is no longer poor or at risk of poverty for the first time since the agricultural revolution 10,000 years ago. And According to The Economist, global suicide rates have dropped by 38% since 1994.

The Record-Breaking

For the first time ever (2019), the top five pageant titles are held by black women: Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss USA, Miss Teen USA, and Miss America.

The Miraculous

In 2018, the world witnessed something unbelievable. The moment when all 12 Thai boys and their coach–part of a junior soccer team–were all rescued after being stranded in a flooded cave in Thailand for over two weeks. After some time had passed, it was very doubtful whether there would be any survivors. However, search crews and their families and friends remained hopeful and persistent.

Summation

From the whimsical to the awe-inspiring, miraculous, and historical, there have been many positive highlights in the past decade. Some are on this list, some are not. Some might be in your own personal life.

In the midst of not so positive events, it’s important to remember and appreciate the good, that way it can carry on into our future.

References

• https://qz.com/1501642/the-99-best-things-that-happened-in-2018/
• https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/g29729623/things-you-forgot-happened-this-decade-2010-to-2019/
• https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-44791998
• https://www.shondaland.com/inspire/a25957136/good-things-happened-2019/
• https://www.fairfieldresidential.com/apartmentality/2010s-the-highlights-of-the-decade/

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