Over the past few decades, the world has shifted toward greater globalization and technology reliance. A push that not only impacts how we teach in schools, but often starts inside the classroom as the next generation shapes the newest wave of innovation.
Since the turn of the century, the world has seen two large and intertwined trends: An emerging demand for technology and shift toward globalization. Information technology (IT) began driving globalization in the 1990s as computer hardware, software, and telecommunications increased the ability to access information anywhere. Throughout the twenty-first century, especially in the past five to ten years, this push has only grown with the development of social networking and the adaption of how people share information for personal, political, economic, and commercial purposes.
At the same time, globalization also accelerates technology. While the accessibility of information opens the door to a more global perspective of the world, the demand for globalization has furthered the demand for technology. Countries can now see each other’s innovations and want the same for themselves. In addition, a desire to operate on a global scale requires a rapid transformation in how individuals from across the world connect.
Overall, what we have observed over the past two decades is an increase in people’s need to communicate and a shift in how they do so. Whether in Mumbai, Madrid, or Memphis, we cannot go anywhere without running into someone talking, posting, or surfing on their personal devices. Regardless of age, location, socio-economic status, or any other factor, people everywhere are experiencing a necessary transition toward technology. We are witnessing a worldwide dependence on IT solutions and digital tools.
Furthermore, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for and reliance on technology grew yet again. On the individual level, more people found themselves working from home or out of work. Combined with the international travel lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, these dramatic changes in daily life led to a rise in technology use. Whether setting up home offices, doing online school with children, staying connected with family, or simply trying to entertain ourselves in unprecedented times, people turned to digital solutions such as Zoom, Google, Netflix, and more.
Beyond the household, governments also found themselves in need of greater digital infrastructure. Between tracking infection rates, understanding worldwide health trends, communicating vital information with citizens, developing vaccines, and now distributing them safely, IT solutions are becoming not just the new normal but a permanent societal requirement on micro and macro levels.
Earlier this week, Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos announced his intent to step down as CEO later this year. In his letter explaining the decision, he spoke of the true goal of innovation, saying, “If you get it right, a few years after a surprising invention, the new thing has become normal.” He continued by stating how the highest praise an inventor can receive is the yawn of people who have come to see the original innovation as a normal, everyday expectation.
As Bezos suggested in his statement, the entire world is becoming accustomed to these innovative, digital means of interacting with information and communicating with their communities. In every industry from agriculture to architecture, from education to entertainment, technology has increased standard of living and made communication, along with many other factors, easier. The evolution of the Internet, cellular technology, and satellite devices has enabled the exchange of information over long distances with just a few clicks.
For example, the availability of online educational tools, interactive media, and huge pools of knowledge has made the process of learning more accessible, interesting, and tailored to the individual. The storage and presentation of information through digital solutions makes teaching easier and more effective, while allowing people to learn in a variety of manners.
The youngest generation, known as Gen Z, are starting to become adults. They mark the first generation to grow up entirely in a world with cellphones, social networking, and tech stocks. While baby boomers created the first computers and millennials pushed the evolution of social technology, Gen Z will shape the next round of innovation. We are already beginning to see simultaneous shifts in how technology is used, as well as how the career paths, worldviews, and political activism of teenagers and young adults is being impacted by an intercultural, global perspective.
The amount of information in the palms of society’s hands has completely transformed how we learn, communicate, and view the world. We no longer see only the community around us, but instead we see the larger ecosystem in which those communities fit. Technology both allowed for this widened perspective and evolved alongside it. As we watch the next generation grow up and become members of the workforce, their ability to affect change will rise. The move toward more globalization and more technology will continue, as it begins to go hand-in-hand with the desires and agendas of the next big innovative powerhouses, many of whom are sitting at desks inside classrooms today.
Sources:
https://www.cigionline.org/articles/how-covid-19-accelerating-shift-toward-quantified-society
http://www.globalization101.org/uploads/File/Technology/tech.pdf
https://techspirited.com/why-is-technology-so-important-today
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