Friends predicted a huge tech trend before it was even a thing, and now it's a billion dollar industry

People love the TV show Friends for its jokes, characters you can relate to, and how it shows life in the city during the 90s. Looking back, we can see it also predicted a big change in tech—how we'd start talking through digital devices instead of in person. A small joke Chandler Bing made about using a laptop to email people back in 1997 now seems way ahead of its time.

Chandler's email joke in Friends highlighted the future of digital communication

In a Friends episode called "The One with the 'Cuffs," Chandler gets caught using his boss's computer and jokes about sending emails. He says, "I'm just sending out some emails... I'll be with you in a sec." Back then, the idea of emailing friends or coworkers was still new. Email was around, sure, but it hadn't yet become the main way we communicate like it is now.

Chandler's casual quip suggested a change that has grown into a big shift in how we live. These days, people talk to each other online - through emails, texts quick messages, or social media - for both personal and work stuff. At work, in particular, we've seen a big move from face-to-face talks to online chats on platforms like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom.

In fact, as of 2024, the global email marketing industry has a value of over $10 billion, with over 361 billion emails sent each day worldwide, according to Statista. Tools to support remote teamwork and messages sent at different times have grown even more since the COVID-19 pandemic. This strengthens the trend Chandler joked about: people "busy" with emails, not talking face-to-face. This scene in Friends does more than just mention early tech—it shows the start of a change in society.

The joke worked in 1997 because the idea of liking a computer over human contact seemed a bit strange. But years later, it's a normal part of daily life. Emails direct messages, and online meetings have taken the place of many everyday talks. This isn't the only instance where Friends has gotten credit for seeing future trends coming.

Friends is an American TV show made by David Crane and Marta Kauffman. It was shown on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, and ran for ten seasons. The show stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer. It tells the story of six friends in their 20s and 30s living in New York City. The main producers of the show were Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane.

TV shows and movies often mirror their era, but sometimes, like in this situation, they peek a few years into the future. The writers didn't mean to make a point about what's coming in digital communication, but Chandler's quip has stood the test of time in a way that's pretty surprising.

Gomala Devi is a journalist at Primetimer. 

She holds a Bachelor's degree in Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering and has over three years of experience as a content writer.

Gomala was drawn to writing after reading the Harry Potter series, and she developed an interest in fashion and pop culture at the same time.
She loves exploring the newest developments in the lifestyle space and crafting interesting opinion pieces. She references official websites, interviews, and social media to ensure that her work is factually sound.

In her spare time, she loves to read books and play chess.