Why is cyberpunk a thing?

I started the original cyberpunk novel, Neuromancer, in anticipation of it's screen adaptation on Apple TV. Already in the first chapter, I see how it influenced on of my favorite movies, The Matrix, which is actually a term the author, William Gibson, coined—along with cyberspace, and "jacking in," where you directly connect your nervous system to cyberspace.

While Neuromancer came out in 1984, Blade Runner came out in 1982. So did BR influence NM? Not totally. Blade Runner helped Gibson confirm his vision of a world of urban decay and corporate uber-power, but Gibson already established his vision in the short story Burning Chrome, which came out in 1982.

This parallel development is fascinating to me. Gibson's cyberpunk aesthetic was emerging from his own imagination at the same time Ridley Scott was bringing Philip K. Dick's original 1968 story to the big screen.

So, what led to the cyberpunk zeitgeist?

The personal computer revolution had just started, with the Apple II coming out in 1977. The Reagan era led to deregulation and the rise of multinational corporations. Companies like IBM and AT&T seemed to wield unprecedented influence. American cities were struggling with crime. I mean, The Warriors movie came out to play in 1979 ("Can you dig it?"), and let's just say, New York City subways weren't looking like a good place to be.

Mix that with Cold War tensions, emerging punk and new wave cultures showing how people might resist "the man," and of course, early versions of the internet, like dial-up systems where people could connect via modem to exchange messages and files.

That was the zeitgeist that led to cyberpunk.

That was around 45 years ago.

I wonder, what zeitgeists are we a part of now?

And 45 years from now, what new flavors of science fiction will we say came out of this time?