OVER A CENTURY The 1920s were a glittering reward for the tragic decade prior, and people were ready to leave everything behind them. This led to a social shift towards progressive ideologies, alongside an economic boom after World War I. As we mark the two-year anniversary of COVID-19 on our delayed start to this new decade, I cannot help but notice that nearly 100 years ago, the world was marking the ‘end’ of another pandemic. The 1920s, also known as the Roaring 20s, began two years after the Spanish Influenza.¹ Being one of the deadliest pandemics in history, it killed 20-50 million people in under 3 years. Like COVID-19, this airborne virus spread quickly with no drug treatment or vaccine. By 1919, the Spanish Influenza had spread across the globe, and a natural immunity was developed. Strains of the flu were still prevalent in the following years, however, the effects were much less severe. This sickness never really went away, with thousands of people still contracting it yearly.² As we hope to see the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, we wonder what the coming years have in store for us. They say that history repeats itself, as we have seen throughout, well, history. In the 1920s, a household automobile manufacturer released their most affordable model yet.³ This led to nearly every American family owning a car, and therefore, the
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construction of highways. Similarly, in recent years, we have witnessed the rise of electric cars, as they become increasingly affordable. We have seen more electric car charging stations pop up due to the increased prevalence of the modern-day novelty.4 The 1920s were a time of innovation with new industries, such as aviation and ‘modern electronics,’ blowing up because of increased wealth and labour. The producers of older products took on the aforementioned car manufacturer’s idea of the assembly line to produce more products and employ more workers.5 Working-class citizens who previously lived in the countryside moved into cities with the promise of finding jobs and wealth—the promise of living the ‘American Dream,’ which was just coming to be after World War I. New jobs were created due to industrialized mass production, and because of this mass production and influx of wealth, more people could participate in capitalist society.6 Today, social media is filled with individuals who have chosen to return to self-employment. We see a rise of small businesses and content creators opposing the assembly line idea. It seems as though the changes in manufacturing over the last century are facing a downfall. While mass production is profitable, overproduction and overconsumption are detrimental to the environment, which is of
