5 ways the world will change in 2022: CNET's predictions for the year ahead

As we speed into 2022, one question remains: Where are we headed next?

During this three-week series – which will includeCES– we’ll especially tackle five themes that will shape 2022.

The pandemic and the future of health

COVID-19 largely caught the world by surprise.

Will 2022 be the year thatCOVID-19 transitions from a pandemic to an endemic?

That’s what we’re all hoping, of course, but there’s no going back to 2019.

And, healthcare will never be the same post-pandemic.

And the COVID-19 vaccine will forever change the way vaccines (and potentially other therapies) are created.

This could prove to be one of the most important medical breakthroughs of the century.

While schools largely returned in-person, work has been a far slower process.

The most surprising trend that’s likely to continue to gain steam in 2022 is the Great Resignation.

More people are quitting their jobs andreprioritizing their livesthan ever –CNET’s Farnoosh Torabi even has advice.

In December, the US Labor Departmentreportedthat the number of people quitting their jobs remains at record high levels.

The Great Resignation is just one example of how those changes are manifesting themselves.

3.

In November,inflation hit its highest level since 1982 at 6.8%.

Theinflation of real estateand cars will be closely watched in 2022, after eye-watering numbers in 2021.

Speaking of growth,cryptocurrencies have been breaking new highsand attracting more interest.

Politicians, athletes and others started taking their paychecks in Bitcoin in 2021.

We’ll see if your employer will offer you that option in 2022.

Their ambitions will get bigger in 2022.

Speaking about Starship, SpaceX CEOElon Musksaid, “This is a profound revolution in access to orbit.

There has never been a fully reusable, orbital launch vehicle.

This is the holy grail of space technology.

It is the fundamental breakthrough that is necessary for humanity to become a space-faring civilization.”

Meanwhile, SpaceX’sStarLinkand Blue Origin andAmazon’sProject Kuiper will launch thousands of low orbit satellites into the atmosphere in 2022.

Apparently, they’ve never watched the movieWall-E.

The writing is on the wall for fossil fuel-burning vehicles.

But let’s keep our metaverse expectations low for 2022.

If we get a few encouraging glimpses of the metaverse in 2022, we should count ourselves pretty happy.