In 1997 Wired predicted that the internet age would be “a period of sustained growth that could eventually double the world's economy every dozen years and bring increasing prosperity for—quite literally—billions of people on the planet,” riding “the early waves of a 25-year run of a greatly expanding economy,” promising “prosperity, freedom and a better environment for the whole world.”

Actual annual world GDP growth rate in the 21st century: about 2.5%.