I’m going to hold your hand when I say this: 2014 was ten years ago. Shocking, I know—it feels like it was just yesterday. But in the decade since, so much has changed, both in the world around us and in our own lives.
Recently, Redditor u/Ok-Squash8044 sparked an interesting conversation, asking others to share things that would have been unimaginable back then but are completely normal now. Many users chimed in, and the thread quickly filled with thought-provoking insights.
Read on for some of the best answers—and don’t forget to upvote your favorites!
#1
A felon running for president.
Image source: LMP0623, René DeAnda
#2
That in 2024 we would be fighting about the abortion issue.
Image source: Curmudgeon_I_am, Duncan Shaffer
#3
Reading headlines about more women dying bc they were denied lifesaving healthcare when their pregnancies went wrong, because that procedure they needed is also a type of abortion.
Image source: BookLuvr7, Olga Kononenko
#4
A politician with free reign to say or do anything they want, with absolute impunity, and still have a legitimate number of votes to make it close or f*****g *win*.
In Clintons presidency, even ONE of these transgressions would endanger everything. The man fought tooth and nail to hide a blowie, and the nation reeled in the controversy.
Today, every day, an indictment worthy statement is shot across the news, and no harm no foul. Just keep rolling towards consignment to oblivion. All conditions normal at two minutes to midnight.
Image source: VeracitiSiempre, Zoe
#5
People being able to live a long life while being HIV positive.
Image source: JamesSmith1200, Daniel Jøshua
#6
Subscriptions for damn near everything!
Image source: enrod713, cottonbro studio
#7
*gestures vaguely at the state of U.S. politics*.
Image source: ranchspidey, Utsav Srestha
#8
Diseases that have been dormant for decades coming back.
Image source: SituationalRambo, Polina Tankilevitch
#9
Computers making art, and people still doing mindless repetitive tasks. .
Image source: 16bitgamer, Emiliano Vittoriosi
#10
I think almost everything about current US politics was unimaginable 10 years ago. 10 years ago we thought our country and our constitution was strong. Now we know better.
Image source: ditchdiggergirl, Wan Chen
#11
Working remotely.
Image source: MbMinx, Tima Miroshnichenko
#12
How much spying our electronics do on us and we’re totally cool with it.
Image source: NewTimeTraveler1
#13
Going to the store to buy marijuana legally.
Image source: lagomorphed, Jeff W
#14
Paying more than $10 for a fast food combo.
Image source: Historical-Fudge, Luis Rosero
#15
A president who discusses the size of Arnold Palmer’s d**k.
Image source: maria17garcia, Aaron Kittredge
#16
Two very uk based ones:
1. Brexit – I was a final year politics student in 2014 and no one thought we would vote for Brexit, let alone a hard Brexit as that would be economic madness.
2. The normalisation of the far right – UKIP were on the rise but very much a fringe minority. The Conservatives were dogmatic in austerity but socially they had legalised gay marriage, promoted the big society, and were at least performatively tolerant. Worlds away from the culture war nonsense now. .
Image source: cheezus-rocks, Johannes Plenio
#17
Leave a pizza order on someone’s front porch without even knocking.
Image source: ExpertRegister1353, Mike Jones
#18
The cost of living. 10 years ago it was possible to have disposable income, and save up for nice things. Now the entire pay cheque goes towards bills and other living costs, then the credit line has to cover the rest.
Image source: RedSquirrelFtw, Nicola Barts
#19
Kids having constant access to an AI that will effortlessly do all their homework for them.
Image source: Excellent-Bill-5124, Ivan Samkov
#20
There’s been massive student-led protests in Thailand against the military junta throughout 2021 with the leaders being jailed yet barely a peep from western newspapers.
Image source: NoOpening1375, Amine M’siouri
#21
People plastering presidential candidate flags and stickers all over their cars and houses like it was their favorite sports team. Even in a sports lens that would be seen as a mental illness.
Image source: Schmolive, Drew Anderson
#22
A new Cure album.
Image source: Chris-Ord
#23
It being 95 degrees in f****n October.
Edit: not unimaginable as in “didn’t know it could happen.” But unimaginable as in ***surely those at the levers of power will be reasonable and take decisive action to prevent it***
Despite the decades long screams of “do something” [emissions have only fallen a little](https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/climate-change-indicators-us-greenhouse-gas-emissions).
There are success stories like the [banning of CFCs](https://gml.noaa.gov/hats/publictn/elkins/cfcs.html) and the reduction of acid rain by lowering sulfur and NOx emissions. 2014 me thought that green house gas driven climate change would be another success like that that if not abated, would at least stabilize. There have been multiple international agreements since the 90s that haven’t been ambitious enough or that were not signed by the US/pulled out of by the US. *Any progress is good* but its not enough. .
Image source: Adhbimbo, ArtHouse Studio
#24
Maybe not 10 years ago (more like 20), but according to my grandma, everyone having tattoos. She said not a lot of people had them and even less would show them proudly, but now if you go to a waterpark or any place where lots of skin is exposed, you’ll see so many people with tattoos.
My grandma is very against tattoos, it’s so funny to hear her rant about them. I have a small one that I’ve been hiding from her for 2 years now lol.
Image source: sirona-ryan, Daniel Lazarov
#25
Everything, including Walmart, being closed before midnight.
Image source: I_know_a_lot23
#26
$17 pints.
Image source: thorpie88, cottonbro studio
#27
Just a reminder that 10 years ago was 2014. A lot of stuff on here was already well underway by then: Political division in the US really jumped into high gear after 9/11, your smart phone has been spying on you since at least 2010, etc.
Image source: MAHHockey, Lisa Fotios
#28
Girls suddenly being not just ‘okay with’ but ‘active facilitators in’ distributing their own nudes and amateur p*** for a quick buck.
Image source: aevelasquez_, charlesdeluvio
#29
Fear Factor guy interviews the game show dude and it’s one of the post important political events ever.
Image source: Real_Sir_3655
#30
The government no longer denying the existence of UFOs.
Image source: BigD4163, Albert Antony
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