You may have heard that technology advancement is exponential, because well it's true. The more information that is known the more information is discovered. Now we have smart phones, computers in our laps and the means to go into virtual reality. With over 4.88 billion internet users in the 4th quarter of 2021 alone, the availability of information has never been so apparent. The answer to any question is right on the end of our fingertips and through this rapid expansion of information leads to an even faster advancement in our technology. Read about the trends in technologic advancement in today's society and where this boom of information will lead us.
Technology trends
There was a man named Gordon Moore who has his PHD in chemistry and physics and was the man behind Moore's law. While working on Fairchild's Semiconductor Moore observed a trend in technology specifically related to transistors. A transistor is a device which allows electrical signals to be controlled, amplified and generated and are a major components of microchips.
Moore's Law was established in 1965 and suggested that the amount of transistors implemented would double about every two years. Since then Moore's Law has been updated to the amount of transistors will double every 18 months, alluding to exponential growth of computing power as a whole.
Sure originally Moore's law was related to only transistors but this invention is the basis of our computing power. So in the same sense, technology and computing power has been doubling about every 18 months and soon it will double ever faster than that. With increasing computing power being built in smaller and smaller devices where will this take us? Here are some trends that have been observed over the past decade:
Trends in Technology:
More Information: 89.7% of big data has been generated in the past 2 years
Global AI Market is said to exceed 89 billion dollars by 2025
There are over 10 billion active smart devices in 2021 (which is more than the population)
Millennials unlock their smart devices over 70 times a day
Video and music streaming is increasing exponentially
60 percent of internet usage is mobile
Electric car market has a 30% year on year growth rate
29% of electricity comes from renewable sources
Technology Advancement
Ok so it seems like we get the point that technology is being used more, but is it getting any better? Are we making strides to create new things or is it just creating and using more stuff?
Disruptive tech such as AR/VR, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence and more is responsible for 50% of the new growth in technology today. And if you don't quite understand the impact that will have on society, then just wait.
AI and robotics alone are replacing the need for jobs at a rapid rate. Repetitive tasks and manufacturing are now being almost completely taken over by computers and more jobs will follow. Some may be against this huge change but is not necessarily a bad thing, because it's making these processes faster, more convenient and safer. Not to mention with robots taking out our simple tasks, it will allow humans to start to discover new things in science like, space studies, quantum physics and getting closer to understanding things outside of Earth.
Here are some of the most impactful technology advancements of the 21st century.
21st Century Technologic Advancements:
3D printing
Multi-use Rockets
Self driving cars
Drones
Mobile computer processors
Litium batteries
These things didn't exist 20 years ago and would not even be able to be comprehendible to someone from the 1990's. So you can only imagine what advancements will be made in the next 20 years to further improve on all our processes.
Where does technology take us from here?
The Pros:
Technology has made our lives easier, more efficient and with the exposure to information it has lead to smarter generations. When the answer to any question can be found in our pockets we are able to learn and do more than ever before. Transportation has gotten faster, mundane processes are now automated, and the access to communication with anyone allows us to create more relationships.
Not only are are exposed to more information but we are exposed to more people than ever before. You see a trend of human rights being noticed and accepted over the last 20 years and it's because of the internet that this movement of human rights is able to spread. This mostly stems from the access of peoples actions and the ability for people to express themselves.
It is now easier than ever to share opinions and ideas to the masses and create movements that cause change. Change might be the biggest benefit of this internet boom. Since the acceptance of the internet we are seeing media change to allow information to be accessible to all and having no filter on the information being presented. This causes new ideas to form and collaboration like never before.
Even in the midst of a pandemic, technology has allowed millions of Americans to work from the comfort of our own homes, children have the ability to learn from their couch and we have revolutionized a new normal. This goes to show you that when times change and outside factors affect society we are now able to adapt with the advance of recent technology. It's fun to imagine what other things technology could solve for us in the future.
The Cons:
It's hard to say just where this technology will take us and some even argue that we are moving too fast to fully comprehend our actions. With this rapid growth of artificial intelligence even the likes of Elon Musk have come forward to warn us about the rapid expansion of technology that we don't fully understand yet.
ADHD has grown at a rapid rate and technology could be to blame. With our attention spans at an all time low, all of these distractions are not adapting well with the way humans traditionally think. We now have all these stimuli to choose from, social media, television, entertainment, the internet and many more and its becoming overwhelming for us to concentrate on anyone thing.
The quality of information is also a concern. Misinformation is at an all time high and this not only sets our progress back but also causes unwanted conflict among people. When there is just as much good valid information as there is false information how can we advance?
Politics are corrupt, law suits at an all time high, along with fraud and leakage of private information. Technology has helped in the quality of life however it has created new problems which are yet to be seen whether they continue in the future.
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