The "Smartphone Epidemic" (Too Much Screen Time) (Episode: "The Fool Monty", 2010)

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 "Smartphone Epidemic" (Too Much Screen Time) (Episode: "The Fool Monty", 2010)

• What happened: In this episode, there are gags about characters being glued to their smartphones, emphasizing a growing obsession with technology.
• Reality: By the 2010s, smartphone addiction became a global issue, with studies showing that many people spend hours each day on their phones, sparking debates about the negative effects of too much screen time.