Every generation has a technological invention or quirk that shaped their time. We saw this happen in the ’90s when Baby Boomers invented television. During the age of the Millennials, the internet was a defining technological invention. Today, social media is a significant development in the Gen Z wave.
Bearing this and the numerous other technological inventions in mind, it’s essential to note that technology is advancing swiftly. As we’ve seen in Sci-Fi movies, the near future might boast of flying cars and robot-driven industries. However, we should not fear this progress. Technology has not come to rule the world or take over our jobs entirely (we hope!). On the contrary, the sole purpose of this technological development and progress is to improve our quality of life. We see this happening in every sector, from health care to finance. Even in the education sector, we can see technological advances thanks to the emergence of edtech startups that provide mathematics help for kids’ learning and other science industries
Considering the last century, exploring the current state of technology and what the future holds for new generations is pretty straightforward. Let’s get down to brass tacks, shall we?
The Benefits of Technology
It goes without saying that technology offers a lot of benefits and has improved our lives in numerous ways. Here are some of the benefits that technology has offered and will continue to offer in the near future:
Digitized payments and financial transfers
For several years now, we’ve heard about the cashless revolution, and it has become a huge part of our reality, thanks to technology. We no longer have to go to banks for financial transactions and can transfer money to different parts of the world in just a few clicks. In fact, we don’t even need to carry debit cards around.
In 2011, Google forever changed the way we shop by introducing Google Wallet, the company’s first-ever mobile payment system. By 2018, it was rebranded and renamed Google Pay Send. Today, people can use Google Pay or Apple Pay to make payments and carry out transactions without having to rely on a physical debit card. This has certainly made payments more seamless since all it requires is a tap of your mobile phone on a contactless server.
In the near future, payment will become even more digitized, and we’re likely to see fewer people relying on cash or physical cards.
Enhanced healthcare
Over the last century, we’ve seen healthcare improve drastically due to technological advancement. Picture this scenario: before 1977, there were no MRI machines. Magnetic Resonance had to be studied within different chemicals. While this seemed like a viable solution at the time, it was hardly precise. Fast forward to several decades later, and we now have MRI machines and electrocardiography. The invention of prosthetic body parts and pacemakers are also inventions worthy of applause. These inventions have made diagnosis and treatment more accurate and precise, granting the world access to enhanced healthcare and giving us an extra shot at life.
In the same vein, the invention of electronic databases has made it possible to access and update patients’ medical history in just a matter of seconds.
Improved accessibility to education
If you’ve ever heard of edtech and its benefits, you’re one step closer to understanding how technology has made learning more accessible. Educational technology (also known as edtech or edutech) has revolutionized learning in numerous ways.
For starters, the rise of technological tools such as video conferencing tools and collaborative documents has made it easier for students to learn from any part of the world. Similarly, accessibility tools and features like speech-to-text and text-to-speech help disabled students to partake in the learning experience. With online learning platforms like Brighterly.com, students no longer rely on traditional classroom settings to learn. Rather, we can all learn from the comfort of our homes and couches.
Increased connectivity
We all want to stay connected with each other. This explains why we randomly search for our high-school classmates on Facebook or run an Instagram search to see what our high school bully is up to. Thanks to technology, this is very much possible.
Over the last century, technology has improved human connectivity. It started with the invention of the landline to mobile phones, smartphones, the internet, and social media. The Internet of Things will expand even further in the near future, enhancing connectivity. Humans will be even more connected to each other and to every electronic item they own.
The Future of Technology
When exploring technological development and its benefits, we must also address the big question staring us in the face: what does the future hold for technology? How will technology evolve or advance in the next couple of years? Well, after considering the current technological advancements and combing through scientific studies and expert opinions, we’ve got a few theories.
AI-optimized manufacturing
For starters, we expect to see more AI-optimized and ethical manufacturing. Manufacturing companies will most likely adopt cloud-based technologies to crunch and transform data, ultimately optimizing production and cutting waste by half. In the same vein, companies can focus on utilizing human resources rather than relying on unethical labour (e.g., child labour). Generally, this means more quality products, less waste, and more ethical manufacturing processes.
Energy transformation
So far, technological development has helped us discover and utilize new energy resources. By 2025, we expect this movement to be even more significant. We are most likely to see new technologies for reducing carbon emissions. In fact, thanks to these new technologies, carbon footprints may be regarded as the new faux pas as we all come together to save the planet.
Final Thoughts
Technology has certainly come a long way over the past century. From landlines to smartphones and the internet, we’ve reached an age where technology is integral to our lives and economy. In the next few years, technology will advance even further, creating more industries and eradicating irrelevant ones. It’s certainly an age to look forward to.
