The digital transformations shaping the world

Can you zoom in on one technology or a tech-enabled platform that you think most critically shapes the way and pace of life?

The answer to this apparently broad and perplexing question may not be the same for everyone since we do different jobs for a living and have a diversity of choices when it comes to dressing, eating or enjoying holidays. The electric cars and the many Artificial Intelligence innovations appear be the latest arrivals as technology advances continue to open up new avenues.

But is there one list that makes it easier for us to have a look at the tech transformations that are common to the largest number of people among us? 

According to a Pew Research listing of the top ten technological innovations it has covered over the past decade, social media platforms and smart phones appear to be the most influential.

The social media sites are particularly powerful new platforms that connect and inform people through political engagement and news sharing. In the United States, the percentage of people who use social media sites, has jumped from just 5% in 2005 to 72% now.

Image: Tomwsulcer  via Wikimedia Commons

Worldwide, the trend has also grown steadily over the last ten years, with a Pew Survey in 2017 finding that 53% of adults in emerging and developing countries use social media.

For the young people, social media platforms are not a new thing but almost a natural part of lives.

The positive power of social media has been most vividly seen during Arab Spring and Hong Kong protests with the activists’ use of social media messaging to group, share ideas and amplify their voice.

That is why the networking platforms and the Internet have been shut down by authoritarian regimes and even democracies like India in Kashmir and Assam.                                                   

Facebook and YouTube are the most widely used and popular platforms.

On the other hand, social media platforms have also created political crises like Russian interference in the 2016 American election process, unauthorized sale of personal information and their misuse by the dark web forces.

Image: Brian Solis and JESS3  via Wikimedia Commons

On the seamy side, an ever-growing screen time among young people is a cause of concern. A Pew Research survey in 2018 says “more than half of teens (54%) believe they spend too much time on their cellphone, while 41% say they spend too much time on social media and about one-quarter say the same about video games.”

However, it seems that it is the Internet, which continues to be the defining facet and facilitator of modern living.  Both the social media trends and smart phone innovations owe it to the Internet of Things.  And the Internet, with its mix of huge benefits – research and sharing best academic, business, developmental and medical ideas and practices – and erosion of privacy and cybersecurity threats – remains a double-edged sword.