In the world, 2.5 Exabytes of data are produced every day, which amounts to 530,000,000 million songs, 150,000,000 iPhones, 5 million laptops. 250,000 Libraries of Congress, and 90 years of HD video.
That is a lot of information, so where is it all going to be stored if the world continues increasing their amount of data? The only solution to the problem is the creation of new technology.
If technology continues to grow exponentially to meet the needs of the world, how will that impact you?
Recently, technology has been discussed frequently in the news, social media, and in conversations. One may hear a lot of the positive and negative aspects of technology.
While some of these statements may be true, many do not think about how technology directly impacts their lives and how important it is to stay informed about new technology. Consider the following information as a short insight into the impacts of technology on the world around you.
How is technology impacting the economy and the job market?
Technology’s impact on the economy and the job market is multi-facetted, having both positive and negative effects.
Technology produces a significant amount of the money in the United States economy. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of last year, the high-tech industry, which is made up of workers in STEM fields, produces almost 23 percent of economic output.
In addition, the tech industry accounts for 7.1 percent of overall GDP and 11.6 percent of total private sector payroll, as reported by CompTIA CEO and president, Todd Thibodeaux.
A CompTIA study stated that the technology industry added 200,000 jobs in 2015 and employs more than 6.7 million people. In addition, of the 50 states, 46 had a net increase in jobs in the technological field. The tech industry also provides about 12 percent of all jobs and by 2024, the industry is expected to add 1.0 million more jobs.
While jobs within the technological industry increase in number, the jobs outside of the field are disappearing.
CNN Money states that in the next 5 years, technology could eradicate 5 million jobs in the world’s leading economies. With the creation of robots and artificial intelligence, humans are no longer needed in some manufacturing jobs. For instance, a robot can assemble a toy just like a human, and they can do it more efficiently and cheaper.
How is technology impacting education?
Technology not only impacts finances, but also the education system. The tech industry is changing education in 5 major ways.
- New curriculum in schools across the country that introduce computer science classes, such as computer programming, as required education.
- The re-emergence of vocational and trade schools to teach students transferable technological skills.
- A shift in higher education to add more technological degrees and classes in new innovative technologies.
- Federal policy and funding has increased in order to provide tech education in classrooms across the country.
- The private sector’s vested interest in education has increased as companies like Microsoft and Intel invest in computer science education.
As one can see, technology affects many aspects of the world around you. It is very important to be informed with new technologies that are created. Here are the 3 main areas to stay informed in.
- The Facts
- Personal Use
- The Job Market
Knowing the technology’s capabilities is very important in understanding the purpose of its creation.
After hearing about a new technology, one needs to know the positives and negatives of the technology. In addition, knowing the dangers associated with that new technology is helpful to determine if one needs to protect themselves with a type of security.
If this technology can remove the need for a certain job, then it is very important to know what types of jobs are at risk.
My blog Technology Unleashed will help you navigate a new technology in 1 of 4 different areas each week: Robotics, Space, Security, and Retail. The selected technologies will most likely impact your life in some way. The blog will examine the 3 topics above to keep you informed.
In the next 4 weeks, I hope you come along to learn and prepare for these new technologies unleashed on our world!
Picture Attribution: “the world wide web” by frankieleon is licensed under CC by 2.0