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Have you heard of the Y2K bug or Millennium bug? Chances are you have since it’s becoming one of the world’s biggest problems. But, do you know exactly what it is? Let’s find out.

When computers were first built in the 1950’s and 1960’s, memory space on the computers was very precious. So, the programmers who designed the programs did everything they could to use as little memory as possible. One of the ways they did this was by recording the year in a two-digit format instead of four digits. For example, the year 1987 was shortened to 87. The programmers knew that come the year 2000, there would be a problem, because the year would record as 00, and all computers would think it was the year 1900! But, they also figured that by the time 2000 rolled around, there would be new computer programs designed to fix this problem. This was not the case, however, and now we are faced with the Y2K problem, which is short for Year 2000.

The Y2K problem is worldwide. And, the Federal government has been trying to fix it since 1989. They’ve hired thousands of people to work on the problem, but still there aren’t enough people with the expertise. The prediction is that most of it will be fixed by 2000, but it’s important to keep in mind what kinds of things could possibly affect you come the year 2000. You might not even notice anything, but remember that anything around you that uses computers could be affected. For instance, an electric clock, video games and your microwave oven could all have problems. Banks, grocery stores and businesses that use computers may also have problems, because their computers are going to think it’s the year 1900. This means that if you have a bank account, the record of it might be erased because you probably didn’t open it in 1900, that would make you 100 years old! And, you might not have electricity for a few days because the electric company uses computers to generate electricity to your house.

But, never fear, the Y2K problem shouldn’t cause too much trouble, and if you take proper precautions, you’ll be well on your way to overcoming Y2K. First, ask your teachers and parents if their computers have been tested for Y2K. Also, think about what it will be like in case you lose electricity for a few days. Get some things together in case this happens like a flashlight, batteries, a battery powered radio, food, water, candles and games to keep yourself entertained. Who knows, perhaps you’ll never notice a thing, but it never hurts to be prepared.

If you have any questions regarding Y2K, you can call the government’s toll free hotline at 1-888-USA-4Y2K (1-888-872-4925).