7 Billion- How the Typical is Changing (Revision)

I have understood the population explosion intellectually for a long time. I came to understand it emotionally one stinking hot night in Delhi a couple of years ago… The temperature was well over 100, and the air was a haze of dust and smoke. The streets seemed alive with people. People eating, people washing, people sleeping. People visiting, arguing, and screaming. People thrusting their hands through the taxi window, begging. People defecating and urinating. People clinging to buses. People herding animals. People, people, people, people. —Paul Ehrlich

I first posted on this topic on March 5, 2011 and out of all of my blog posts thus far I was most interested by the contents on which that particular post focused. In a world of 7 billion people we all have ideals of what the "typical" person looks like, acts like, partakes in and this is all shaped through our experiences and how we our brought up.

On the contrary, at least in my case, the way we view the "typical" is a far-fetched dream. National Geographic has embarked on an adventure to discover and explore what the World's typical will be like by the year 2030. National Geographic and their current interest in the 7 billion has served to open up the eyes, and even shock people about how the world really functions and looks like.

My sister introduced me to this content and I found it intriguing. She recieved this video through her email and between the two of us it has circulated quite a bit. So here it is, see for yourself if you get as hooked as I did...



The perception of the world that many of us hold is drastically different from the way that it actually is and since the world's population is continually changing and growing we need to keep our minds open to the "typical" what it is progressing towards. The cushy life that I have led in the United States has shielded me from the things in this world that aren't particularly pleasant or has persuaded me to believe that, for example most people in the world have bank accounts. I think this is why National Geographic put so much interest into this topic, to open people up to the reality of the world around them.

Social networking is intertwined into this year-long story by National Geographic in the sense that they both allow for an opportunity to bridge the gap between people and to lessen stereotypes and misconceptions among people. The use of social networking sites is allowing people from all countries and walks of life to connect with one another and help them to understand the differences that exist between them. The connections that people are making through these sites present them with opportunities to overcome stereotypes and to support one another in confrontations that exist independent of you and you friends, for instance with the revolution in Egypt.

The National Geographic story is still progressing, and although you need a subscription to view all of the articles (which sadly I cannot put my college student finances into) you can check out the website and filter through the photos by Randy Olson. This story is going to have an effect on people just as social networking has. I truly believe that something this insightful will make a difference in the lives of people around the world, especially through the help of social networking (like this blog)!

7 Billion- How the Typical is Changing

National Geographic is doing a year long campaign/study on the world's most typical person and how by 2030 what we know today as the most typical man or woman is likely to change drastically due to factors in growing populations and mixing race.

I found this video through my sister and thought it was really interesting! The video doesn't have many special effects or anything of that sort but it plainly states the facts about what is typical in the world today
(a few of which suprised me because I am so often keyed into how American's live).
Check it out!


I thought this was so intriguing because it shows how quickly our world is changing and how one country or nation's ideal of "typical" can be so incredibly wrong. I think that through social networking the stereotypes about what we think is typical can be lessened because we are more capable of interacting with and learning about other peoples. We have seen how social media can connect us with the issues that are relevant around the world and in the same way we can use these instruments to learn that, like in my case, the people around me on my college campus are not by any means the norm.

As I mentioned before this is a year long segment and I believe you have to purchase a subscriptions to the magazine to keep up with the project but check it out for yourself and see whether you think it's worth getting into-Age of Man