Change as an Opportunity, Not a Threat
You and I have a unique privilege that not many get to witness during their lifetime. A machine, idea, or resource comes along and sparks a chain of events that historians look back upon as turning points in time. Both technology and culture change in fundamental ways that create new standards of living, and reshuffle the business and political landscape. Unlike a Hollywood script, the repercussions of these changes are rarely recognized overnight; they have influence that echoes for decades before being superseded. These echoes signify steps in which individuals transform a new landscape thanks to innovations technology has afforded them.
According to this set of miraculous predictions from these ~20 year old advertisements, we are now living in the future.While they weren’t so bold as to predict hover cars, they did predict a number of technologies that we now enjoy, and they look quite accurate. When you realize that most of the major technologies in these videos only recently (in the past few years) became practical for the average consumer, it helps put things in perspective. Collectively we are hurtling towards unknown territory as the technologies we adopt are orphaning the “tried and true” methods in both business and life. With computers and the internet as foci, technologies are converging yet expanding outwards in new directions. And as we learn to wield our new tools, we’re finding society echo this change, with the connections between people also converging and expanding. The individuals and businesses who best create new ways to take advantage of the new landscape will ultimately become the Carnegie’s of our generation. Across all subjects over time change is inevitable; the greatest innovators in history were those who understood this fact, embraced it, and had the vision to mold these changes for the collective good.
13 years ago this was an iPhone
I think one of the greatest advances these converging technologies are bringing us, is the realm to multitask. Most people now carry a phone smaller than the 90’s palm pilot, which packs more hardware punch than their personal computer did. I have heard many arguments against multitasking, however anyone who thinks that multitasking is detrimental to progress, probably would have bad mouthed the cotton gin 210 years ago. If one were to take the old adage “we only use 10% of our brain,” then there is no reason the human mind shouldn’t be able to multitask to a scale we can only imagine. This might be the stereotypical Millennial in me, but finding the right balance of distraction, interaction, challenge, and critical thinking is crucial to keeping my motivation fueled throughout the week. Is there a cognitive limit to how much I can do until the law of diminishing returns sets in? Absolutely. Will I ever develop my abilities to their potential if I am not constantly pushing those limits? Absolutely not. The phrase “thinking outside the box” is as cliche as the amount of people who continue to do so. Perfection is an admirable goal, but perpetual improvement is a realistic one which helps concepts and ideas survive the test of time.
Many of the greatest minds in history are notorious for juggling various areas of study, interests, and business. The ones leaving the greatest legacy were those who had impact beyond their field, company, or generation; they were capable of combining vision, with expertise, and the right technology. Simply put: they innovated. We live in an age where people with vision and the tenacity to achieve can ultimately succeed. It’s with this knowledge that businesses, as well as individuals, can hold their heads high facing the tough economic times ahead. We all have an amazing set of tools at our disposal, most of them are free, but the feature that excites me the most is how interconnected we can further become. Not only do we have the largest population of humans to ever roam the earth, but we have the power to tap into this ocean of brain power and set our goals even higher. For the first time in recent history, technology will be influencing the productive capabilities of the crowd versus the individual. We’re already seeing the changes in culture to reflect this shift in power: from a satirical hijacking of an international brand by twitter, elections turning social networks into battle grounds, to people opting to advertise the locations they visit during the day.
So why am I so excited and optimistic for the immediate future of human interactions? I look back at the past century and the great advances in how humans communicated with one another. As part of my job I am exposed to the advances computers and technology are making by eradicating barriers like language and region-centric knowledge. Collaborative technologies hold the promise of a new revolution for the history books. While the 20th century brought us the technology to broadcast a small group of ideas to a large audience, the 21st century flips the pyramid upside down: every individual and business now has the power to be their own apex. The ability of individuals to have a voice as loud as a Multinational company is one that excites me (and terrifies others). However, the ability to see change as an opportunity, and not as a threat, is what separates the innovators from the unoriginal.
What do you think?
Photo Credits: 416Style, Channel R
