As technology becomes part of everyday life, it can radically change the way people function. In some ways, it even changes the way people behave towards one another. Like it or not, technology is an inevitable byproduct of human evolution. Here are five ways technology is transforming the world your children will inherit.
Technology and Health
With each step forward, technology is paving the way to a fully automated healthcare system. Even people who cannot drive themselves to a doctor’s appointment will find it is possible to engage their doctor through the use of virtual reality connected devices.
This trend is already being started with wearable technology that helps to monitor patient symptoms and vitals. Tablets and smartphones are bridging the virtual gap between doctors and patients as well by improving mobile communication.
The Virtual Workplace
Another way virtual reality-based technology is reshaping the future for our children is through the introduction of virtual workplaces. As technology expands mobile connectivity, employers will begin to realize how cost effective it is to dump the traditional office for a virtual replacement.
While this may not be possible for every business, it will be possible for enough businesses to make the morning commute a thing of the past for millions of people in the coming years.
On Demand Manufacturing
When 3D printing hit the market, it began a trend towards a new mode of manufacturing that was simply not possible prior to the introduction of this technology. Today, a home or business needs only a 3D printer and the necessary raw materials to achieve the goal of on demand manufacturing of products.
The better 3D printing technology becomes, the easier it will be for anyone on the planet to simply print out any product they need. Doing so will boil down to downloading the necessary instruction set for their 3D printer to accomplish the task. Our children may soon have 3D printing that is more like the replicator technology of Star Trek. This is not such a far-fetched idea given our current technological achievements in this direction.
The Cultural Impact
One way technology transforms the future for our children is in the ways it reshapes our cultural experiences. Gone are the days of telephone booths on every corner. Even the traditional bricks and mortar stores are disappearing to make room for Internet-based shopping alternatives taking over the retail market.
Yet, while these may seem like strange and rapid changes to an older generation, they will be perceived as a normal way of life to the digital natives of tomorrow. With the advent of the Internet of Things (IOT), the push towards a world that operates totally online is becoming a more pervasive reality with every passing day.
Education
The world has come a long way since the one room schoolhouse of a century ago. Even traditional, large-capacity high schools are being reduced in size because of the modern thrust of online course loads.
Organizations like Connection Academy, for example, have made it possible to bring quality education into the homes of US residents. This type of comprehensive online high school is typically seen as an opportunity for students to spend more time with their family in a safe home environment; yet, the student is still able to acquire a cutting edge education that will prepare them for future endeavors in a growing global economy.
When it comes to the future, technology will have shaped a world for our children that may seem like a different place from what the older generations experienced when they were that young. In this new tech-based world, the digital native will be the fittest ready to embrace and thrive under the dictates of the evolutionary change that technology has a strong hand in guiding.
Our children will be able to do things faster and with better precision than is possible today, and technology will provide them with the means to make such achievements happen.