I remember the first time I truly understood how much our world had transformed. It was during the pandemic lockdowns when I found myself immersed in God of War Ragnarok, that epic game that somehow captured the essence of our own societal evolution through its characters and storytelling. Just as the game's developers crafted this intricate world where characters evolve through different stages of crisis and revelation, our own society has undergone these remarkable transformations that feel almost like levels in an epic game of civilization. The first stage began with what I like to call the Digital Dawn around the late 1990s, when only about 15% of the global population had internet access. I recall my family getting our first dial-up connection - that distinctive screeching sound felt like society waking up to something revolutionary. We were like those characters in Ragnarok facing an unknown threat, uncertain but curious about what this new technology meant for our future.
Then came the Mobile Revolution around 2007-2012, which personally hit me when I got my first smartphone. Suddenly, information wasn't something I had to seek out at a desktop computer - it was in my pocket, available anywhere. This was when smartphone ownership jumped from about 12% to over 50% in developed countries within just five years. Much like how the Aesir gods in Ragnarok had to confront their own limitations and adapt to changing circumstances, we all had to learn new ways of communicating, working, and socializing. I remember watching my grandmother, who had never used a computer, seamlessly adapt to video calls with family members across the country. It was a beautiful transformation that reminded me of those rare characters in the game who embraced change rather than resisting it.
The Social Media Explosion between 2010-2015 created what I consider the third stage, and honestly, this one was a mixed bag. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter grew their user bases from roughly 150 million to over 1.5 billion active users during this period. We gained unprecedented connectivity but lost something in the process - the nuance of face-to-face interaction. I noticed people's personalities becoming more concentrated in their online personas, much like how the game describes certain characters having their natures "become concentrated further" with unfortunate repercussions. The fourth stage arrived with what experts call the Streaming Era starting around 2013, when services like Netflix fundamentally changed how we consume media. Binge-watching became normal, and the concept of appointment television faded into memory. This shift reminded me of how Ragnarok's characters unravel in different ways when facing their demise - traditional media had to completely rethink what mattered to survive.
Stage five emerged with the Remote Work Revolution accelerated by the pandemic. Before 2020, only about 6% of Americans worked primarily from home - by 2022, that number had jumped to over 35%. I experienced this firsthand, transitioning from a daily commute to setting up a home office. It was disorienting at first, like those game characters forced to reconsider their entire worldview. The sixth transformation came through what I've termed the Gig Economy Takeover, where platforms like Uber and DoorDash created entirely new economic models. By 2021, approximately 35% of the US workforce participated in gig work in some capacity. This created incredible flexibility but also instability, mirroring how different characters in Ragnarok respond to crisis - some thriving in the chaos while others struggle to adapt.
The seventh stage arrived with what I call the AI Infiltration beginning around 2016 but accelerating dramatically in recent years. Machine learning algorithms started influencing everything from what news we see to what products we buy. It's fascinating but also unsettling, much like dealing with the unpredictable gods in Ragnarok who operate by their own mysterious logic. The eighth transformation came through the Sustainability Awakening, where climate concerns moved from niche interest to mainstream priority. I've watched this shift in my own purchasing habits and those of my friends - we're suddenly checking carbon footprints and questioning fast fashion in ways we never did a decade ago. This collective awakening reminds me of those moments in the game where characters finally understand the consequences of their actions and are forced to change course.
Stage nine emerged through what I've experienced as the Mental Health Renaissance. When I was growing up, people rarely discussed therapy or self-care openly. Now, my social media feeds are filled with honest conversations about mental wellbeing, and workplace wellness programs have become standard rather than exceptional. The final stage, still unfolding, is what I'm calling the Virtual Integration phase. With virtual and augmented reality becoming more sophisticated, the lines between digital and physical are blurring in ways that feel both exciting and concerning. Each of these ten stages has transformed how we live, work, and connect in ways that would have been unimaginable just a generation ago. Just as God of War Ragnarok uses its extended runtime to build deep intimacy with its characters, allowing us to understand their motivations and transformations, living through these societal shifts has given us front-row seats to humanity's own epic story of change. The game's theme of characters unraveling and reforming under pressure perfectly mirrors our collective experience - we've all had to question what truly matters as the world transforms around us at this dizzying pace.