The future of Christmas is here: A message from 2050

The content for this blog post was inspired by a conversation we had with Ericsson thought leaders who were asked what they thought Christmas would look like in 2050. Hear some of their answers in the videos below.

The year 2020 was one that we’ll never forget. It was an uncertain time, but its impact gave us a glimpse of what was to come. Climate action finally got going (what a long journey that was). Fossil fuels were still being used, a vaccine for Covid-19 had just been approved, and while much of the world was in some form of lockdown, the only way we could connect with each other was through a 2D screen. 

The phrase ‘new normal’ also became a staple saying, but little did we know how drastically things would change in the coming decades.

Today is 26^th December 2050…

I’m coming to you from the future, where life – and Christmas tradition – is a little different. Don’t get me wrong, there are still certain things in the holiday season you’d recognize. The last minute shopping for gifts, putting up decorations in time, and burning the roasted potatoes (we are human after all, right?).

But there are some things that have changed.

Yesterday was Christmas Day, and our digital avatars sat round the dinner table together for a traditional meal. Although my three siblings were with me at home, my extended family connected from all over the world: Sweden, England, the US and New Zealand. My sister even coded a new hologram so our grandparents could join! We were together, apart – and I think you probably understand that concept after the year you’ve had.

Thanks to the Internet of Senses, we can digitally touch, smell and taste things from all over the world. Yesterday we chose a traditional Christmas dinner from my childhood – the one grandma used to make. Of course, it didn’t physically fill our bellies, but apart from that, the experience was exactly the same. It gave us all the nostalgia we needed on this special day.

Michael Bjorn, Head of Research Agenda and Quality at Consumer & IndustryLab at Ericsson ConsumerLab, and Rebecka Cedering Ångström, Principal Researcher, RA Consumer and Industry Lab Ericsson’s Consumer and Industry Lab, discuss the Internet of Senses and Christmas stress.

Unfortunately, many of the foods that were on the virtual table don’t exist anymore due to the climate crisis and the food shortages that took place across the globe throughout the early 2040s.
Luckily it didn’t take long before our agriculture was restored, although perhaps not as you know it. Most of our food is now grown in the city, underground or in the office spaces that became vacant after the great pandemics. Either that or we grow our own.

All of us are vegan nowadays too. We started using the huge amounts of agricultural land to rewild those areas with native trees and animals, or to build small sustainable villages (much of the population moved away from big cities during the 2020s). Becoming vegan wasn’t something I’d particularly wanted. But it was a necessity. And with the Internet of Senses, we can experience any food we like, so most of the time I don’t even notice!

We can create our very own Christmas experience

There are certain upsides to Christmas 2050 when it comes to managing the family get together. Here, you don’t need to put up with ‘that’ uncle and his slightly racist jokes anymore. Instead, you can use digital filters and apply them to certain environments – anything you experience can be edited according to your preferences. My Dad loves his new filter – it translates all the bad grammar and the slang that the kids of the family say and corrects the language for him. The translation is instant and goes straight into the microchip in his ear. He’s an English teacher so it was a perfect solution for him. It was also a relief for the rest of the family who considers him a core part of the grammar police.

Much of what we can do today is because of the development of Extended Reality (XR) – the next evolution of computer, human and environment interaction. It has enabled humanity to connect in a way that completely blurs the lines between what we know to be real and virtual. And it’s at this time of year that this technology comes into its own.

Anders Erlandsson, Head of Ericsson IndustryLab, Consumer & IndustryLab, at Ericsson Research discusses XR and what we might see outside our window during Christmas 2050.

For instance, my next door neighbor has designed her very own tailor-made VR Christmas experience. She’s trialing the new ‘Frictionless Christmas’ application. She can plug into the perfect Christmas she had as a child – nostalgia made real! She goes back to her grandparents’ house where there’s snow outside, and Frank Sinatra songs are bursting out of the record player. She says it’s far better than all the stress of the real version. Plus, she can decide exactly who attends and who doesn’t!

On the other hand, you don’t have to have the fairytale Christmas. The counter culture to the frictionless Christmas movement has opened up a host of applications where any experience is available: fantasy, medieval, and celebrity Christmas dinners are the latest options on the market. The digital world is your oyster. A friend of mine decided to go for the Charles Dickens Christmas Day application – seems a bit extreme to me, but it’s always fun to return to work in January and hear about everyone’s experiences.

Dr. Pernilla Jonsson is Head of Consumer & Industrylab at Ericsson Research gives her thoughts on the options for family gatherings during Christmas 2050.

When it comes to gift giving, my AI helped me pick out the best presents for my family members. It almost knows me better than I do, so it picks the perfect gift every time. Very useful when you’re short on time. Presents are all about real life experiences. I remember when technology was top of the Christmas list, but all that’s changed. Nowadays, handcrafted objects, real life trips – anything digitally untouched, are the best kind of gift. Although digital holidays are still very popular. In fact, my brother opened a Hawaii microchip I just bought him and he’s about to try it out. The experiences are so real now, the only thing missing is the tan.

Peter Marshall, Portfolio Marketing Manager, reveals what he’d like for Christmas in 2050.

The future of Christmas? Things may have changed, but we’re all still human after all

As you may have gathered, we’ve made some drastic changes to the way we live in the future. I remember the early days of working from home – all those online meetings, sometimes with a dodgy connection. Today, many of us use our avatar to go to a virtual office. All the perks of office life, but with no commuting! Much of what was predicted in 2020 about work was correct. Many jobs became automated. But in the long run, it allowed many of us to focus on what we truly wanted to do – to follow our passions, or to improve our education.

My siblings are heading back to New Zealand in a few days. You’ll be pleased to hear we solved jet lag (finally), so rather than spending 24 hours on a flight, they’re taking the high speed underground electric train and stopping off to see some sites on the way. Yes, tourism is still alive and kicking. No amount of digital holidays can replace the real thing. 

Mats Guldbrand, Marketing Business Consultant explains how, because of increased screen time, physical interactions will still be sought after in 2050.

It’s not all digital – in fact, the things you’ve gone through this year are similar to how many of us feel here in 2050. Digital interactions can never replace human ones. So when we do get together under one roof, we really make the most of it. We still play board games, we still eat and drink too much together, and we still long to see each other more often. Technology has allowed us to expand into new worlds, and to experience digital innovation on an unimaginable scale, but really, there’s nothing like a hug from a family member on Christmas Day. 

Have a wonderful holiday season. Stay safe and healthy.

NOTE – This article was originally published in Ericsson and can be viewed here