It’s a unique world we live in but the information age really started happening in the mid-90s. With the year 2000 in the midst of December 1999, it got people fearing or curious about what would happen on January 1st. Here 5 reasons why people cared so much about Y2K.
People Believed the Software Would Malfunction When the Date Changed to ‘00
Yes, this was a big thing because the years in the computers would always display the last two digits. They figured a millennium bug would occur, and the Social Security Administration spent the most time and money to help prevent complications.
The U.S. Government and Companies Spent a Fortune On Becoming Y2K Compliant
It’s not surprising that they wanted to make sure they updated their systems to help combat any possible issues. Everything from staff, jobs, equipment, and advertising ran into at least over $100 billion. However, this led to a great surplus of jobs in the tech space and helped shaped our modern world.
Stocking Up On Supplies Before the New Millennium
The pandemic wasn’t the only time you saw people stocking up on food out of fear. FEMA suggested that people stock up on stuff but not too excessively. Those were simpler times before the social media wave.
Airlines Scaled Back Their Flights
Due to the event of Y2K, many people decided not to travel by plane. The low-ticket sales actually came to the tune of 25% of flights canceled on NYE 1999.
Y2K Upgrades Helped With 9/11
New York’s tech industry was a bit outdated before the widespread buzz of Y2K. Since these were taken seriously, it helped NYC bounce back much faster. AT&T and other telecommunication services would’ve been out longer otherwise.