This is a social history of the 2020s. Social history refers to changes affecting societies and the lived experiences of their members.
Global issues.
Social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The impact on personal gatherings was strong as medical experts advised, and local authorities often mandated stay-at-home orders to prevent gatherings of any size, not just the larger events that were initially restricted. Such gatherings could be replaced by teleconferencing, or in some cases with unconventional attempts to maintain social distancing with activities such as a balcony sing-along for a concert, or a "birthday parade" for a birthday party. Replacements for gatherings were seen as significant to mental health during the crisis. Social isolation among alcohol users also adopted a trend towards "Kalsarikänni" or "pantsdrunking", a Finnish antisocial drinking culture.
Low income individuals were more likely to contract the coronavirus and to die from it. In both New York City and Barcelona, low income neighborhoods were disproportionately hit by coronavirus cases. Hypotheses for why this was the case included that poorer families were more likely to live in crowded housing and work in the low skill jobs, such as supermarkets and elder care, which were deemed essential during the crisis. In the United States, millions of low-income people may lack access to health care due to being uninsured or underinsured. Millions of Americans lost their health insurance after losing their jobs. Many low income workers in service jobs became unemployed.
The coronavirus pandemic was followed by a concern for a potential spike in suicides, exacerbated by social isolation due to quarantine and social-distancing guidelines, fear, and unemployment and financial factors. Many countries reported an increase in domestic violence and intimate partner violence attributed to lockdowns amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Financial insecurity, stress, and uncertainty led to increased aggression at home, with abusers able to control large amounts of their victims' daily life. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for a domestic violence "ceasefire".
Race.
The murder of George Floyd has led to many protest and riots across the United States and internationally. The stated goal of the protest has been to end police brutality and racial inequality.
Gender.
The World Economic Forum published a report on the global gender gap in January 2020 that concludes gender parity will not be reached for 99.5 years. The report benchmarks 153 countries in four dimensions: Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment. The top-ranking country for parity is Iceland, and Albania, Ethiopia, Mali, Mexico, and Spain are the most improved. At least 35 countries have achieved gender parity in education, and 71 have closed at least 97% of the gap in health. Political empowerment remains poor—85 countries have never had a female head of state and women hold only 25% of all available positions, while eight countries have no women in government at all. Globally, only 55% of women (ages 15–64) are economically active, compared to 78% of men. 72 countries do not allow women to open bank accounts or obtain credit.
Drug policy.
Drug policies continues to evolve, in particular in relation to cannabis and psychedelics. Landmark events internationally were:
Technology.
Trends in technology include greater use of artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous vehicles (AV), virtual reality, a ten-year human lifespan increase (due to better drugs, stem cell manipulation, and gene therapy), renewable and sustainable energy, and space (commercialization, weaponization, and exploration).
References.
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