Just think about it, not so many years ago, information was pretty hard to find. It required a whole process. Some millennials may have trouble picturing this but we actually had to get out of the house or ask someone if we had a question about something specific.
You would have to go to the library or consult an expert in order to learn something new because it was not always there for you to look at it. Even Encyclopaedias were not something you could find in every house. Special books like those were really expensive and not very easy to get.
So are you ready for the future?
Welcome to the 21st Century!
If we take a look at how things are now, we realise that in the information age everything is changing lightning fast! Today, information is literally everywhere. With a smartphone in your hand, you can get any information you want, no matter where you are.
For example I realise that some travellers still buy tourist guides, travel books and paper maps. But every day more people, especially the younger generations find these things a bit obsolete. Instead, they turn to apps and Google Maps for help.
One can only guess where these kinds of lifestyles will take us.
The world is transforming and things are getting faster and faster. We must adapt or we will be left far behind before we know it.
But how to find that information you are interested about?
These days, thanks to the Internet, we can learn anything we want. The key is knowing how to find it.
Google can’t read our minds…yet. You need to ask really good questions in order to rightly get what you need as soon as possible.
But then, we find an odd situation. People who go to University often find themselves memorising information for an exam. This, of course, is completely useless in the learning process, especially when we are dealing with generations of young people who are used to consuming huge amounts of information through Internet at an incredible speed. So, why are we still doing it?
I still have yet to see some kind of “Googling” courses in schools or work places. Being good at finding information will be more and more important in the coming times. So here’s my question. Are school systems adapting to these situations? And if so, how are they doing it?
Let’s step into the future!
I can ask you right now a question about Quantum Physics or Neuroscience or Building Construction, and I bet you can give me an answer just by googling it.
That’s the very reason why Yahoo! Answers exists. Haven’t we all, at some point, benefited from websites like Wikipedia where we can approach a new subject without any fuss?
That’s the beauty of the Internet. Anyone can learn anything, anytime and anywhere. Think about all the doors these possibilities are opening.
Then, we also have to consider labor and jobs as a very important area which is being highly influenced by information technology. Occupations that even a few years ago were nice and steady will be completely obsolete in a few years.
Is car repair mechanic ready for self-driving car and less accidents?
Based on the latest projections by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistic, Forbes compiled a list of the careers that are headed for the dustbin.
Among the Top 20 Disappearing Jobs, we find agricultural workers, sewing machine operators, fast food cooks, news and street vendors and many others. Check out the full list here.
It’s absolutely necessary and urgent to think about how information technology will affect not only these careers, but also all of us and our future lifestyles.
A friend of mine works in a car repair shop. The other day we were talking and I asked him if he is thinking about what he will be doing in about 10 years’ time. He is 30 years old, so he is quite young.
Just imagine. When self-driving cars become an everyday reality, there will definitely be less accidents. I think that he should start thinking about this NOW. But he is not. He says he will think about it when the time comes. Can you imagine how this will turn out in the end. Instead of being prepared and taking control of things, he’s leaving them to chance.
The time for us to act in order to influence the future is now. Not tomorrow.
Now, don’t feel lost, instead become radical!
I know it’s easy to lose your sense of direction amidst so much information, articles, blogs and podcasts. But at the end of the day, whatever you like to do with information technology is your own choice. It’s there for a reason, and you decide what reason that is.
At a glance it may seem everyone else has it figured out when in reality, we are all making it up as we go. So why radical? Well, simply because trusting our instincts when we live in an over-informational age feels radical.
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