Microsoft founder and billionaire Bill Gates has several concerns in 2022. This is stated in the year-end blog post of the owner's full name William Henry Gates III.
In a blog titled "Reason for optimism after a rough year," Gates writes that one particular issue can slow or derail much of progress and potential. He estimates if there is public distrust of the government.
"This is one of the issues I'm most worried about going into 2022," he wrote, as quoted by CNBC International.
Gates said public institutions need to be major players in struggles, such as tackling climate change or preventing the next pandemic. But as is well known, most of them can't do much.
"If your people don't trust you, they won't support a great new initiative," Gates wrote. "And when major crises arise, they are less likely to follow the guidance needed to weather the storm."
Such distrust has become very clear since the pandemic hit. On the other hand, Pew Research Center research from the pre-Covid period also shows the same trend. In a 2019 poll of American adults, 75% of respondents said their fellow citizens' trust in the federal government was shrinking.
Another 64% of voters say Americans' trust in one another is also shrinking. About four in ten respondents think distrust makes it harder to deal with issues such as health care, immigration and gun violence.
In addition to the issue of trust in government, Gates also noted that the 24-hour news cycle, politically-incented headlines and social media are also playing a role in the widening gap. Gates wrote governments may need to regulate online platforms to effectively eliminate misinformation.
Gates also expressed concern that without prompt intervention, many people may grow to vote for politicians who openly express and encourage distrust. This snowball effect can cause the public to become increasingly disillusioned with the government.
"This is usually where I'll lay out my ideas on how we can fix the problem. The truth is, I don't have an answer," he wrote.
"I plan to continue to seek and read other people's ideas, especially from young people. I hope the generation that grew up online will have fresh ideas on how to tackle problems so entrenched on the Internet," he added.
Before explaining his concerns, Gates initially made some bright predictions, ranging from the Covid pandemic that could potentially end next year, to the impending rise of the metaverse.