The "Smart TV" and "Streaming" Services (Episode: "Homer and Lisa Exchange Cross Words", 2008)

The Simpsons has earned quite the reputation for seemingly predicting the future. It’s actually a bit of a meme at this point, with fans pointing out how many things in the real world appear to have been "predicted" by the show, sometimes years in advance. While some of these predictions are purely coincidental or the result of broad satire, others do seem oddly prescient.

The "Smart TV" and "Streaming" Services (Episode: "Homer and Lisa Exchange Cross Words", 2008)

• What happened: Homer’s family buys a new "smart TV," which streams content directly from the internet.
• Reality: In the 2010s, smart TVs became ubiquitous, allowing users to stream services like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ directly on their televisions, marking a massive shift in how people consume entertainment.