It made me believe that the future is nothing to be feared. Things will get better and we will learn from the mistakes of the past.
I've been watching for as long as I can remember (1975). TOS offered an escape from a rather traumatic childhood. I'll always be grateful for that escape. It turned me into a lifelong fan of the franchise.
Well, it brought me to this place, almost 18 years ago. It has led to family time watching all the series together, going to conventions with our kids. It led me to meet one of my best friends. So, pretty good!
It led me to being a science fiction fan. It led me to sites and conventions where I met lifelong friends. I wouldn't be the person I am today without it.
I'm genuinely curious why you think that a fictional future has any relevance on what our future will be like. If it's just optimism then so be it and I applaud your optimism. My feelings differ. Getting back to the thread premise, I would say that Star Trek has helped shape my interest in the science fiction genre (and by extension, the fantasy genre). In terms of impacting my life in some highly meaningful way though? Not so sure. It's given me a lot of enjoyment but I'm not sure my life would be significantly different had it not been around.
Many movies and tv shows present dark visions of the future. Star Trek is a positive view. Many people, like me, have been inspired to try and make a positive impact thanks to that show.
When I was in high school, there was this one girl I liked. I heard from a friend that she also enjoyed Trek so I loaned here the series of James Blish adaptations. As of next month, we will have been married 41 years. Ron
My marriage is also a product of Trek! Hubby and I met in a Star Trek fan club back in the 90s, and we'll be married 24 years in October. We attend the Shore Leave convention, near Baltimore, every summer, and we write and perform filksongs together. (Filksongs are science fiction folk music.) I will always remember my husband sitting our then-four-year-old son down in front of the TV when SyFy was airing a TOS marathon, and explaining solemnly, "Son, this is the most important TV show in your whole life." When I made a questioning noise, Hubby said, "Hey, if it wasn't for this show, he wouldn't exist!"
Star Trek shaped my view of the world and how I treat other people. As a latchkey kid, it proved to be my moral compass.
Growing up, my brother & I had vastly different interests, and ST was one of the only things we shared together. He's still as zealous for it as ever, and for a recent birthday I got him an Enterprise-D pizza slicer that uses the saucer section to cut pizza (of course).
I've seen those pizza cutters! I've always thought to fully utilize it, have the nacelles actually pick up the slice. "Would you like some warp plasma as an additional topping, for only 2 strips of latinum?"
It allowed me to open up and have hope for a positive future and actually led me to question how the world works. Also, it gave me my interest in science fiction at a very young age. Still, it’s a fun escape from my own issues in life
i used the Star Trek Enterpise serie as a tool to brainwash my kids into sci-fi fans when they where young. it didnt really work, but they still think that the theme song is one of the best ever...
Kirk, Spock, Scotty, and McCoy were my heroes when I needed heroes back then. I don't necessarily think we'll have a future like the one depicted, but it's nice to think that in the future there will be men of action who do the right things for the right reasons.
We have one of those. Believe it or not, John Billingsley and his wife gave it to us for Christmas! So there's another benefit.
He uses it every chance he gets, whether it's pizza or something even remotely cutable. Enterprises cut pizzas and are also fun to ride on: