Digital Age
By
walking down the memory lane to just some few years ago, it evident that
technology has evolved tremendously to become a significant beacon of our daily
lives. In recent times the phrase "we are living a digital world" has
gained prominence and is used to imply that we are living in the digital age.
However, interestingly, only some few people can explain what digital age is
beyond the scope of having access to the internet and the rise of
smartphones.
To
fully grasp the depth and scope of the digital age, we must define what it is.
According to ( IGI Global, n.d), the digital age is a period in the 21st
century that was characterized by a dramatic shift from the ideals of the
industrial revolution to adopting economies that are driven and based on information
technology. The transformation to the
digital age was marked by increased use of the internet, more reliance on
computers as means to easily and rapidly transfer information and significant
integration of digital technologies into the economic, social and political
activities. However, the journey to digital age started back in the 1970s with
the advent of personal computers which have become a Centre piece of the
digital revolutions.
While
it may seem that we have reached the peak of the digital age, a look into the
industry paints a different scenario. Engineers, researchers and scientists are
working incessantly to explore and invent newer technologies (Warman, 2018).
For instance, a while back, it was unimaginable that one could dictate instructions
to the phone or computer without typing them.
Currently, almost all phone and computers have voice recognition
software where the users need not type instructions but instead only need to
dictate them. These changes are not
restricted to a particular field, and as witnessed, the impact has been cutting
across all areas, including in medicine where we know how tele medicine and
e-therapy.
Since
the power base of the digital age is technology, it is expected that the rapid
development of technology will further cement the existence of the digital age.
For instance, there have been significant breakthroughs in the development of
quantum technology that will be the next significant phase in technology
advancement (Ginsburg,2008).
Such events are expected to be accompanied by other development such as high
bandwidth transfer mechanisms and super fast and powerful microchips to
facilitate processing and transfer the resultant vast amounts of data.
Therefore, as the world continues to leap towards
further technology advancements in all areas, it is clear that the digital age
is here to stay. While the lack of technology would make digital age a figment
in our imagination, the existence of technology further entangles our lives
into the digital age. It is thus imperative for every one of us to grasp the
massive potential that the digital age presents and seize the opportunity to
make the best out of it.
References
Ginsburg, F. (2008).
Rethinking the digital age. The media and social theory (pp.
141-158). Routledge.
IGI Global. (n.d.) What is the Digital Age?
Retrieved from https://www.igi-global.com/dictionary/resource-sharing/7562
Warman, M. (2018,
October 16). The world has changed. Digital has changed it. Retrieved from https://www.thedigitaltransformationpeople.com/channels/the-case-for-digital-transformation/the-world-has-changed-digital-has-changed-it/
