Did the Jetsons Get It Right?
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We don’t have flying cars (yet), but our vacuums are crushing it.
When The Jetsons first aired in the early 1960s, it gave us a peek into what life could look like by 2062. But here we are in 2025—closer to George Jetson’s birth year (he was supposedly born in 2022!) than to his futuristic world.
So, how close are we?
1. Flying Cars and Skyways
George Jetson commutes in a flying car that folds up into a briefcase at work—talk about an easy commute.
Our reality: People are spending an average of 45 minutes commuting to and from work. Unless they’re working from home, then they’re commuting more like 4 to 5 feet.
But there is hope for the future, we have prototypes and concept vehicles from companies like Joby Aviation and others working on eVTOLs (electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft). But they’re not commercially available, infrastructure isn’t in place, and regulatory frameworks are still being figured out. You can read more about eVTOLs here.
As you can imagine, flying cars have become a symbol of future frustration—a technological goal that always feels 10 years away. The engineering challenges aren’t small, but the even bigger hurdle is airspace management.
For now, we’re still sitting in traffic with our playlists on repeat.
2. Robotic Housekeepers
Rosie the Robot did everything—cleaning, cooking, childcare—with a snappy attitude and genuine personality.
Our reality: We have made serious progress in domestic automation. Robot vacuums, mops, and lawnmowers are mainstream. Smart ovens and voice assistants help us cook, remind us of schedules, and even reorder groceries.
But nothing today approaches the full-service capabilities (or the emotional intelligence) of Rosie. We're building task-specific machines, not companions. And none of them come with wisecracks. So, we got the pieces but not the personality.
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3. Video Calling and Remote Work
In the show, characters regularly held video calls with friends, coworkers, and even doctors.
Our reality: This might be The Jetsons’ most accurate prediction. Between Zoom, FaceTime, Teams, and telehealth platforms, video communication is now routine. The pandemic accelerated this shift, making remote collaboration not just possible, but normalized.
And while George only worked a few hours a week, we’ve used this technology to enable remote work anytime, anywhere—blurring boundaries.
We should all strive to be more like George, portfolio careers anyone?
4. Smart Homes and Automation
Lights, appliances, and gadgets were all voice-activated or push-button controlled.
Our reality: Smart homes are very real. From thermostats that learn your preferences to security systems with facial recognition, our homes can now “think” in ways the Jetsons’ writers could only imagine. Integration isn’t always seamless, and there are still privacy and data issues to navigate—but automation is here, and it’s evolving quickly.
5. Healthcare and Wellness Tech
Instant check-ups via video and machines that diagnosed and treated problems quickly.
Our reality: Yes, telehealth is common, wearable devices monitor vitals in real time, and AI is starting to assist with diagnostics.
However, we have not yet cracked the ability to diagnose a broken bone by walking through a scanner, but we’re inching closer with AI-powered radiology, predictive analytics, and remote monitoring.
Preventive care is also getting smarter. Smartwatches can detect arrhythmias, track sleep, and alert users to early health risks—something George Jetson could’ve used after being shot out of a malfunctioning treadmill.
6. Education and Learning
Elroy, Georges’ son attended school via moving walkways and video lectures.
Our reality: Online education is mainstream—from K-12 virtual schools to remote university programs and upskilling platforms are readily available.
AI tutors and adaptive learning software are personalizing education in ways that were hard to imagine 60 years ago. Still, we haven’t reimagined the structure of education the way the Jetsons implied—most of our systems are still grounded in traditional models of time, testing, and classroom-based progression.
But we’re moving forward—digitally accurate, structurally stuck.
7. Food and Convenience
Meals appeared at the touch of a button, often from machines that cooked, plated, and cleaned in seconds. Lucky.
Our reality: We’re close in spirit. Microwaves, air fryers, and smart ovens have made meal prep faster. Delivery apps put restaurant food on our tables in under 30 minutes.
And yes, you can talk to your fridge now—but it mostly just reminds you you’re out of milk.
No one’s invented the instant meal pill or home chef robot quite yet, but we’ve become used to convenience on demand, for better or worse.
8. Culture, Values, and the Human Experience
This was something The Jetsons did not do a good job or predicting—the human experience. The tech was half right, but it’s impact on us was missed entirely. It’s complex being human in a digital age.
The rise of social media and its impact on self-image, politics, and community.
The omnipresence of data—and our growing concerns about how it’s collected and used.
A global pandemic that reshaped how we work, connect, and care for each other.
The show’s world was clean, optimistic, and tidy—where technology solved problems instead of introducing new ones. And perhaps that's its greatest inaccuracy. In reality, each advancement comes with trade-offs: increased efficiency brings more surveillance; greater connection can fuel greater loneliness.