As we embark upon a new decade and enter 2010, it seems like ancient history to recall everything that has happened over the last ten years. As most of us remember, there was much hype and panic built up as we entered the 21st century. Most of this speculation was caused by the frenzy surrounding what was known as the Y2K “bug.” However, as the clock struck midnight on 2000, Y2K came and went without any tribulations.

I can still remember that time: I was in the midst of my freshman year in high school, as the year 2000 approached. I remember not knowing exactly what the Y2K bug meant, but many people (like myself) thought that the world was going to come to an end at the stroke of midnight. Having access to limited media outlets, I relied on my local newspapers and nightly news to educate me. I could not “Google it,” as people so often refer to when searching for information today. On top of that, there were no Facebook groups I could have joined, no tweeting that could have been done and there was definitely no iPhone app I could have downloaded. Hard to believe, but the aforementioned innovations have all been introduced into society within the last six years.

As I try recalling what it was like to live without these “necessities” (as I now refer to them), I also ponder how differently the pandemonium surrounding Y2K might have played out had these modern technologies been available. I feel like talk of Y2K on social networks like Facebook and Twitter may have heightened our fear. But at the same time, it may have educated people a lot more and, in turn, downplayed some of the hype associated with Y2K.

Either way, looking back on the last decade and remembering some of the major events that have taken place was quite a journey. Even more fascinating are the advancements that have been made within the local search spectrum. The media landscape has changed so drastically within the last decade that we are now able to draw our information from numerous outlets. Just last week, Google announced two new products, Nexus One and “Near Me Now,” that are sure to bring much change to the mobile world. If these innovations are any indication as to what the next ten years are going to be like, I can hardly wait to see what the rest of the decade has in store.