Have we been trending in this direction? Yes, of course. It's not going to happen overnight. Technology has also played a role. The type of technology that wasn't around in the early 1900s.

Have we finally crossed a tipping point, for a number of reasons, and that's manifesting in a number of different ways? Yes, again.

The obvious aside, the major difference now is that the possibility of "the pod" is no longer sci-fi theory, it's becoming real. That means there are actors who are very interested in seeing that happen (and profiting from it). Those actors will use their influence to nudge in that direction. I don't think I need to point out who some of those actors are, but the most obvious one controls a VR goggles company, and a couple of social networks.