The digital revolution is lifting
the world to a new level.
While many people understand that
the Internet and smartphones are changing the way that we live and work
today, what most may not realize is that this modern "digital
revolution" of today actually got its start more than two and a half
centuries ago.
What we now refer to as the
Digital Revolution - inclusive of laptop computers, cell phones, tablets,
e-readers, and other modern electronics - was actually begun 250 years ago.
The first and second Industrial Revolutions preceded the Digital Revolution,
opening a pathway for the evolution of technology and modernization. Over
time, our global economy has shifted from relying on people for operations to
relying on technology for efficiency.
|
When you think about it, though, it
all makes a lot of sense. This is because as our needs change, new devices are
constantly being developed in order to replace the old ones. For example, the
water mill was replaced by the steam engine, the computer replaced the
transistor, etc. In fact, each new wave of technology brings about new surges
in productivity - and because of that, new businesses are able to consistently
emerge.
Many of these technologies have led to substantial advances that have improved the overall standard of living across the globe. And, some of our biggest businesses today are providing opportunity for both commerce - and investment - that people did not even imagine just a decade ago. Some examples include the Apple iPhone, tablets, and the Go-Pro. With easy access to endless technology, we could be in the midst of the next level of the digital revolution.
"The number one benefit of
information technology is that it empowers people to do what they want to do.
It lets people be creative. It lets people be productive. It lets people learn
things they didn't think they could learn before, and so in a sense it is all
about potential."
- Steve Ballmer
