2021 Technological Shift-O-Meter
2021 technologically had 9th Gen gaming and a reversal of the changes from the previous year, as Zoom calls, remote work and online classes declined as the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic wore off
This is technologically ONLY, political and cultural events don't count for this one
2020 Technological Shift-O-Meter
2020 technologically had TikTok ubiquity and the rise of Zoom calls, remote work and online classes as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic
This is technologically ONLY, political and cultural events don't count for this one
2019 Pop Cultural Shift-O-Meter
2019 culturally had the death of monoculture, Avengers: Endgame, the finale of The Big Bang Theory and Game Of Thrones, the rise of Gen Z artists such as Lil Nas X and Billie Eilish, 2020s TV shows such as The Boys and Euphoria debuted, The Mandalorian and the Joker with Joaquin Phoenix was released
This is culturally ONLY, political and technological events don't count for this one
2018 Pop Cultural Shift-O-Meter
2018 culturally had Fortnite, A Star Is Born, Black Panther, influencer boxing, France winning the World Cup and Prince Harry married Meghan Markle
This is culturally ONLY, political and technological events don't count for this one
2017 Political Shift-O-Meter
2017 politically had the inauguration of Donald Trump as American president, his subsequent travel ban, his attempts to build a wall across the America-Mexico border and the beginning of the MeToo Movement
This is politically ONLY, cultural and technological events don't count for this one
2016 Political Shift-O-Meter
2016 politically had the election of Donald Trump as American president, bringing his brand of right-wing populism into the mainstream and Britain voting to leave the European Union in the Brexit referendum
This is politically ONLY, cultural and technological events don't count for this one
Weekly Shift Battle No. 38 - 1972 vs 2015
Political events of 1972 include the beginning of the Watergate Scandal after the break-in at the Watergate building, Nixon's visit to China, Nixon winning a second term, the Salt I Treaty, Bloody Sunday in Northern Ireland and the Munich Olympics Attack
Culturally, 1972 was a consistent early 70s year but it did have events such as David Bowie creating his alter ego Ziggy Stardust, the rise of glam rock, The Godfather was released, MAS*H debuted and colour TV was becoming popular
2026 (so far/prediction) Pop Cultural Shift-O-Meter
2026 culturally so far has had Stateside, Fruit Love Island, Project Hail Mary, Bad Bunny's Super Bowl half-time show and Billie Eilish saying "no one's illegal on stolen land" at the 2026 Grammys' and by the end of the year it'll at the very least have the 2026 World Cup, the release of GTA 6 and America's 250th birthday celebrations
This is culturally ONLY, political and cultural events don't count for this one
2015 Technological Shift-O-Meter
2015 technologically had streaming overtaking cable and the rise of dating apps such as Tinder
This is technologically ONLY, political and cultural events don't count for this one
2014 Technological Shift-O-Meter
2014 technologically had 8th Gen gaming, Snapchat, streaming becoming mainstream and a solidification of the changes 2013 with instant messengers such as WhatsApp becoming ubiquitous
This is technologically ONLY, political and cultural events don't count for this one
2013 Pop Cultural Shift-O-Meter
2013 culturally had Vine, GTA 5, the finale of Breaking Bad, Blurred Lines, The Wolf Of Wall Street, Happy, Miley Cyrus, the end of electropop, the rise of indie pop, flat design aesthetics, the end of top text/bottom text and rage comic memes, Orange Is The New Black debuted and the Harlem Shake became popular
This is culturally ONLY, political and technological events don't count for this one
2012 Pop Cultural Shift-O-Meter
2012 culturally had Avengers, The Hunger Games, Call Me Maybe and Gangnam Style becoming the first YouTube video to reach one billion views
This is culturally ONLY, political and technological events don't count for this one
2011 Political Shift-O-Meter
2011 politically had the Arab Spring, the capture and death of Osama Bin Laden, the end of the Iraq War and the Occupy Wall Street protests
This is politically ONLY, cultural and technological events don't count for this one
2010 Political Shift-O-Meter
2010 politically had the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) in America, the Tea Party Movement and the Tories came to power in Britain, ushering in austerity policies and ending the thirteen year rule of New Labour
This is politically ONLY, cultural and technological events don't count for this one
2009 Technological Shift-O-Meter
2009 technologically had blackberries, Facebook overtaking MySpace, analogue TV overtaking digital TV and Twitter becoming mainstream
This is technologically ONLY, political and cultural events don't count for this one
2008 Technological Shift-O-Meter
2008 technogically had the rise of Facebook, HDTVs and laptops overtook desktops
This is technologically ONLY, political and cultural events don't count for this one
2007 Pop Cultural Shift-O-Meter
2007 culturally had the Sopranos finale, the rise of autotune, Rihanna's breakout year, the Britney Spears breakdown, Transformers, Superbad, Mad Men and The Big Bang Theory debuted and a lot of critically acclaimed 7th Gen games were released
This is culturally ONLY, political and technological events don't count for this one
2006 Pop Cultural Shift-O-Meter
2006 culturally had High School Musical, Hannah Montana, the Disney Wave, Borat, Timbaland, Zidane's headbutt in the World Cup final and Amy Winehouse released Back To Black
This is culturally ONLY, political and technological events don't count for this one
2005 Political Shift-O-Meter
2005 politically had Hurricane Katrina, the death of Pope John Paul II and the 7/7 London bombings
This is politically ONLY, cultural and technological events don't count for this one
2004 Political Shift-O-Meter
2004 politically had the Abu Ghriab scandal and the reelection of George W. Bush as American president
This is politically ONLY, cultural and technological events don't count for this one