The Jetsons, now 60 years old, is iconic. That's a problem.

In an article for Slate, Building H co-founder Steve Downs looks at the enduring influence of The Jetsons, a cartoon sitcom launched in 1962. The Jetsons gave us a vision of technology could shape our world — it gave us flying cars, moving sidewalks, robot maids, and even nuclear-powered dogs. Implicit in this vision was that technology would utter in a lifestyle of exceptional convenience — everything could be summoned or performed with the touch of a button or a simple voice command. Physical labor of any kind would be virtually unnecessary, nature was superfluous and food became just an automatically produced input. Much of what The Jetsons promised has arrived over the decades — and so have its consequences, in the form of staggering rises in obesity, diabetes and, increasingly, mental health challenges. Downs argues that it’s time for new visions — in which technology plays more humanistic roles — to replace The Jetsons.

Read The Jetsons, Now 60 Years Old, Is Iconic. That's a Problem. in Slate.