The first decade of the new millennium ushered in an age of unprecedented amounts of information through the Internet and electronic media. The U.S. was attacked in 2001, changing the face of New York City forever. There was economic slowdown, political divisiveness, and unprecedented terrorism. US-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq achieved their initial goals, then devolved into bloody guerrilla conflicts. International competition for energy resources escalated dramatically. Then, in 2008, a time of change began when Barack Obama was elected president. As the 2000s moved forward, people changed the way they socialized, worked, and even entertained.