Over 50 years ago I read a series of stories set in a universe known as Frigid Fracas by Mack Reynolds. In it the USA society had been divided in to three socio-economic classes: the Uppers, Middles, and Lowers with each class divided again the same way so you had Upper Uppers and Middle Uppers, etc. you were only allowed to associate with people of your own class and it was rigidly enforced. How it was enforced is not made clear, but that it was enforced was clear. What class you were in was easily noted by both your dress, speech, and manners. A lot like the Victorian era.
I bring this up for two reasons. First I think we maybe well on the way of going back to this in the 21st century. Second is I now think I now know how it will come about. It won’t be by how we dress, but what kind of ‘social media device’ we use. Each device will know what class you belong in and will limit what social media you can access to your class. This would let the Upper Uppers control what all of the class’ see and hear. The dialect each class and subclass speaks will be controlled so they will be easily noticed. How they dress will be just as easily controlled by limiting what they are shown is limited by the shopping algorithms to there proper class.
Where you can go and where you are admitted can be easily controlled by just ‘pinging’ you phone. Indeed, law enforcement will not have to ask for your identity, they can just ping you device. And by making it a crime to have the ‘wrong’ device, or no device, on their person can make things even simpler. And finally; every person in the USA, citizen, noncitizen, visitor, or what must have their DNA on record and keyed to there device.
Welcome to my nightmare.