Looking Back on Our Decade!

Hello, Green Level! In case you haven’t noticed, it’s 2020 now! That means we’re in a new decade (shh, let’s pretend there’s a year zero) which will come with new trends, events, and exciting advancements! Before it all begins, let’s take a final look back at the last few years. 

We had a huge change in entertainment-Netflix and streaming was made big. Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, and Brooklyn 99 were a few of the most loved shows, and iconic movie series like Harry Potter, The Avengers, and Star Wars had their thrilling finales. According to Spotify’s streams, Drake dominated the charts, and artists like Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, and Post Malone finished the decade strong. 

Speaking of entertainment… if there’s one thing these past few years can be remembered for, it’s the memes! The 2010s were an era of bizarre moments, from the second Lady Gaga wore her meat dress in 2010 to the failed Cats movie of 2019. Who could forget storming Area 51, tide pods, Harambe, or the million Spongebob jokes?

Social media took the world by storm. Instagram was born in October 2010, and Snapchat rose less than a year later. Now the two are our main way of staying in touch with friends! Vine was born and died, but most teenagers and millennials can still quote some of the short videos by heart. Musical.ly hit the app store in 2014 and transformed into the chaotic world of Tik Tok three years later. I think we all know how that one’s going, whether you find it good or bad.

This decade wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s been four years since we lost David Bowie, five since Robin Williams, and three since Carrie Fisher. Even though they may not still be with us, their spirit and amazing life work live on. The Amazon Rainforest caught on fire, and so did many forests in California and Australia. Terrorist attacks on Paris in 2015 and the bombings at the Boston Marathon shook the world. The tragedy at Sandy Hook launched the US into an era of school shootings and debates on gun control. China is currently holding Muslims in detention camps, there’s unrest in Hong Kong, and diseases that were nearly extinct are reviving due to distrust in vaccines.

Still-throughout the bad, we had great moments too. Gay marriage was legalized in the United States, and the entire country is moving to a more accepting mindset towards LGBTQ+ people! The Black Lives Matter movement and #MeToo brought important issues of inequality to light! And we can’t forget the fight for climate change with Fridays for Future and the Global Climate Strike campaigns organized by Greta Thunberg, which shows that you don’t need to be old and rich to make a difference. 

I think I can safely speak for everyone when I say that the 2010s were a whirlwind of events and emotions. We all laughed, cried, protested and rose up in support, but most of all, we all left the decade stronger, better individuals than we were when it began. I hope 2020 holds even more joy and experiences for all of us. Enjoy the new decade, Gators!