What is the first thing we hear in the morning? Well, for many it’s the sound of the nagging alarm. Though the alarm might seem an annoying sidepiece, it can be the very thing we depend on daily. This article isn’t about alarms but about something else that has transformed our habits. That’s right; the digital age. That digital age or revolution is the newest and current economic revolution. Similar, to the Industrial Revolution the Digital Age is marking a new era in society. In simple words, the digital revolution is the shift from mechanical electronics to digital technology. Like all revolutions in the past, the digital age must have some advantages to prove successful. Coming with the pros will be the unforeseen cons. Let’s dive into the digital age!
What are the Digital Age Pros?
Bringing People Together:
The digital revolution brings people together. We are all connected in one way or the other. If it’s through social media or messaging we can connect and communicate with everyone from all corners of the world. Unlike the olden times when we had to send carrier pigeons to get messages through, we are now able to send messages internationally and locally with the click of a button.
Portability:
The digital devices used in this age are continuously getting smaller and smaller. All the information learned through your life can be transferred to a microchip. This is the capacity of many USBs. We can’t keep pigeons in our pockets, but we can keep phones.
Information Is At Our Fingertips:
Much of the information found on long and tall shelves at libraries is now found at your fingertips. Right now, the article you are reading is information. You can find information about the villages in Africa while sitting in Iceland. This is the power of information and knowledge. Something that we are all granted because of the digital age.
Changes the Way of the Economy and Business:
Instead, of racing in your car because you are one hour late to work, you are now able to have lengthy sleep due to an advantage of the digital age. By breaking the barrier of brick walls and confined working spaces, the digital age has provided us with an infinite amount of space. Most new businesses are carried out in cyberspace as they can save money and have flexible employees. This not only helps our sleep but the economy as well because more production and productivity are used virtually compared to an in-person environment.
Real-Time Data:
Now, we all have suffered from a laggy and slow internet connection, but a couple of decades ago many wouldn’t have heard of the internet altogether. Yes, that’s right the internet does provide us with real-time information. The actions that we do every day may be subtly based on the new information we find online.
What are the Digital Age Cons?
Addiction To Technology:
We all heard the voice of parents telling us to get off our phones. " No more Screen Time" Now, they might be right. Although connecting with others in the digital age might seem exciting at first, we might get addicted. We can experience what many call FOMO, the fear of missing out. Many scroll themselves to bed every night instead of getting worthwhile sleep. Experts believe this is because they want to be updated. With technology, we are always caught staring at screens instead of doing other important tasks.
Data Accuracy:
Anyone can post whatever they want on the internet. Either it's false or true. Many people might post false information which can be taken as true a passed along. This causes a sea of misinterpretations and misinformation. Many are educated on how to spot a fake website from an authentic one. Though this will help in the future, many should still be ashamed of sending fake news across the internet.
Technology Rules Our Lives:
Have we all felt the pain of losing our five-month science project to a computer crash? Well, I have. Many major companies are affected by data breaches and flawed cybersecurity. This is because everything that they do is online. If one password is leaked then the whole operation must be shut down. That doesn’t look good for the company or the economy.
Old vs. New:
At one point in our lives, we must have sat our elders down and explained to them a firewall, wasn’t a method used for warfare. Now, this might seem hilarious, but there is a clear divide and restrictions on who can use technology and who can’t. As technology is fairly new many don’t understand how to operate. This causes a gap in who can and can’t use the digital age. The communication chain is broken.
Privacy Break-in:
Now many might consider a robbery as a house break-in, but it can also happen online. Cybersecurity is a new institution almost implemented in every business, because of the shady activities performed by these crooks. Malware, phishing, and cybercrimes are just a few that we must be aware of. Educating ourselves and others is a crucial task that we must fill.
The digital age does come with its fair share of advantages and disadvantages. The advantages help us advance as a society and perform tasks with ease, but we must be aware of the disadvantages associated with the era as they make an impact on us as well. Thankfully, schools now educate us on the dangers of the internet and how to stay safe so we can surf the web without hesitation. In light of this information, we can now decide for ourselves if the digital age a crucial or dangerous.
so beneficial for learning! :)