The Technology Revolution: Growing Up With the Latest and Greatest
"Technology gives us power, but it does not and cannot tell us how to use that power. thanks to technology, we can instantly communicate across the world, but it still doesn't help us know what to say." -Jonathan Sacks
Growing up, I was constantly using technology. I was definitely a gamer as a kid, getting my first Nintendo 64 for Christmas; buying my Xbox 360 when I was a teen after growing tired of a Wii. I was also on the computer, learning at a young age playing math games while I learned on my own how the internet worked. Now, I can type and post to the blog I created on my own from my smartphone no problem.
In my lifetime alone, we have gone from large box PCs to ultrathin, foldable laptops that leave those PCs in the dust. I (vaguely) remember floppy disks, yet those became obsolete in exchange for CDs and now even CDs are being pushed out in exchange for Blu-Ray disks or USBs. Today things can even be stored on remote servers so you can access your data from anywhere with the right operating system. This is all before you mention the mobile market; smartphones are now commonplace and you can do millions of things with them, yet when I got my first phone, it was a Motorola flip phone that I could play Snake on if I wanted to.
It's clear that we are living in the Technology Revolution. I have no doubt that the years I spent my childhood in will be written about in textbooks generations from now. Just as the pioneers are remembered for working their way west, for developing land that was previously unknown, Millennials will be the first generation to have grown up with technology and as we continue to grow older, I'm excited to see what we'll bring to this omnipotent table.
It's important to note, however, that the beginnings of the tech we use daily were largely in the later years of the generation prior. It was in 1971 that the first PC was released, and 1973 marked the first mobile phone hitting the market. It wasn't until the 80s that these technologies truly started to catch and become accessible in stores across the globe. The timing of these technologies becoming popularized marks Millennials as the first generation to grow up with technology constantly around us; scientists have even dubbed those that have always had access to computers and phones as “Digital Natives.” We have an inherent understanding of tech because it has always been there, and this understanding has allowed us to do things that were deemed nearly impossible before. With the help of social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, we have the ability to witness and hear about events from all over the globe through first person accounts, videos and more.
While the internet can be an amazing tool that has opened the world up to where we can see what’s going on without the help of mainstream media sources, the internet can also be a double-edged sword. It is only as useful as the user makes it; many people don't use the internet for 100% productive means, myself included. For each constructive/useful page and link, there are plenty of time sinks meant only to entertain or distract (I'm talking about you, cat videos). There have been plenty of complaints or tentative remarks voiced as to what the internet can actually do for us.
THE GOOD
There's no doubt that tech has made the world a smaller place. It allows us to communicate across great distances immediately and lets us keep in touch with our friends. There are few people that take advantage of this to the extent Millennials do. With the opportunity to voice your opinion and thoughts via Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms, young people’s voices can be heard all the time like never before. Just looking at the connections young people have via their social platforms you see the difference. Based on data from 2014, Millennials average about 500 friends on Facebook, those older than Millennials average just under 200 friends. Now this isn't a good indicator in terms of how well we stay connected, but it does show that Millennials will be exposed to more via their feed than previous generations. With 500 friends sharing their thoughts, videos, and posts, Millennials can have a more open view thanks to that feed of information. Not to mention that these friends aren't necessarily exclusive to the area or even country that the initial person is from. I personally have friends that are located in countries like New Zealand, Poland, and Scotland to name a few. The internet isn't solely for means of socializing though; we can use the internet to collaborate on projects no matter where we are. With tools like Google Docs, Dropbox and GitHub, people can collaborate on an unprecedented level. Thanks to Business Insider, we can look at companies in Silicon Valley and we can see that they even prefer to hire younger engineers and developers; let's keep in mind Silicon Valley is THE hotspot for internet startups, no matter where the employees are physically located. These companies believe in high levels of project collaboration. When you have to have full teams of people working on a project, especially those that involve programming, it's important for each employee to see the progress and changes made to the project they are working on -- the internet has made this an infinitely easier process.
Alongside the social and collaborative opportunities the internet has brought to the table, one might consider it the largest university the world has to offer. With websites like Coursera, Codecademy and Udemy anyone can learn just about anything they want, for relatively low cost or for free. Even skills such as drawing and graphic design can be both learned and practiced online. There has never been an easier means to access education then a computer, and because of this companies, especially in the tech industry, have started to hire people without degrees because they've learned and practiced the skills they need in other ways. Online, some companies, (especially in tech industry) offer challenges that if solved, will almost guarantee someone an interview over the phone. On top of this it's easy to keep an easily accessible portfolio online for potential employers to review.
Now, the internet isn't all good. While it's made things easier, people still have to take advantage of these opportunities. Just because you can learn online doesn't mean you will. Just because you can socialize internationally, doesn't mean people will. It's all up to the user.
THE BAD
Just the same as it's good, the internet can also absolutely be bad. The internet has opened doors to all kinds of behavior; perhaps most worrisome is that they've already coined the term Problematic Internet Use (PIU), also commonly referred to as Internet Addiction (IA). PIU may sound funny -- how can the internet be addictive? Yet when the internet is constantly around us, people can get detached from the real world. Perhaps it's escapism, but many people turn to the internet for relief. They go watch funny videos, shop online or do any number of things that may otherwise be unhealthy when a person is constantly doing them. "Last Child in the Woods" by Richard Louv warns of what can happen when we don't go outside enough and lose our relationship with nature. We can become detached from our surrounding environment, which in an age of climate change is extremely dangerous behavior.
The internet can also provide an opportunity for groups to spread hate or harass others. It can be as simple as a Facebook group trashing a singular person or it can spread to dangerous idealism. It's no secret that one of the biggest recruiting strategies for terrorist groups in the Middle East is to take to the internet and use social sites like Twitter to spread propaganda and misleading footage.
Worst of all, much of your information is stored online. This is nice; it provides ease of access and convenience when used properly, however, when any large company such as Yahoo is breached, millions of passwords, names, and even credit card numbers can be swiped because they are stored in large databases. Breaches on banks, government agencies or other large institutions have much more dire consequences. With breaches such as these, people could have their identity stolen well before they are notified.
THE POWER OF THE USER
Ultimately, the internet is what you make it, and every user has a choice as to how they spend their time online. We can make the decision to learn via free courses, teach ourselves a new skill, or communicate with our best friend from high school. However, we need to be conscious of those decisions because while the internet is great, it can contribute to some bad habits. It's never been easier to buy things with a credit card you own because now it's saved to Amazon. It's never been less boring to sit for hours when you can watch cat videos to entertain yourself.
The power is in the user. If we as a whole move towards making the internet our domain for pursuance of our passions, we can reach new heights like never before, whether you live in Chicago and want to work in California, or want to travel while you write your blog. To be honest, freedom of movement is part of why I started this blog, and I personally have made the commitment to use my time online to better myself. It's not hard, but it's a large step you have to take to truly rule your time online.
