Shift Happens

 

When I sit down and really think of the technological advances I have witnessed in my 29 years, it is really quite astounding. When I sit down and look at specific statistics that have shown the growth of technology and even the population of the world, (and how rapid it's growing,) it's almost overwhelming. A quick look at these statistics are shown in the following videos: Social Media Revolution 2011, and Did You Know?/Shift Happens. Although they are short videos (less than 5 minutes each,) they are filled with a wealth of statistics shown through info-graphics.

The Social Media Revolution

This video (although only 2 1/2 minutes long) really took me by surprise. I know technology has advanced quickly over the past 10 years, and even quicker in the past 5, but I didn't know how fast. Here are some things that I found interesting:

• E-readers have surpassed traditional book sales
• 1 in 5 couples meet online
• Kindergarteners learn on iPads in the classroom (not chalkboards)
• Facebook tops Google for weekly traffic in the US
• 1 in 5 divorces are blamed on Facebook 
• If Wikipedia were a book, it would be 2.25 million pages long

I remember when I was in school, Facebook, Wikipedia, iPads etc. didn't even exist. (Wow, I feel old saying that!) The rapid growth of social media has an impact on everyone, whether we like it or not, but it's all about how we use it. I can't even imagine growing up now, already having access to the technology we do now. I look at some of my students carrying around their iPhones, iPods, hearing them talk about Snapchat, Instagram... and they're only 12! I didn't have my first cell phone until I was 18. It is very interesting to see this generation growing up with everything they have now, and I'm excited to see what else is going develop in the next 10 years. One of my favorite quotes about social media is this: "The best thing about social media, is that you're connected to the world. The worst thing about social media, is that you're connected to the world." I'm always telling my students to be careful how they use social media, because it could be a blessing, or a curse.

Did you know/Shift Happens

 This video had a lot to do with the rapid growth of technology in relation to the growth of world population, but also about general changes that have occurred worldwide (just within the past 5-10 years.) Just like the previous video, it was full of info-graphics showing mind-blowing statistics. Here are a few of them:

• China will become the #1 English speaking country in the world
• 25% of India's population with the highest IQ is greater than the population of the entire US
• The top 10 jobs in demand for 2010 did not exist in 2004 (We are also preparing students for jobs that don't exist)
• Half of what students are currently studying will be outdated by their junior year of college
• There are 12 billion searches done in one month on Google
• There are 800 million Facebook users. If Facebook were a country, it would be the 3rd largest in the world

I really enjoy the title of this video: Shift Happens. I think that is a perfect way to describe the statistics shown in this video. The world is not static; it is always changing. I was just shocked at how fast these changes occurred. To think that what students learn now in the classroom will be outdated in the matter of 5 years is crazy to me. Even now, I hear students talking about certain popular things, (Snapchat, for example) and in my head I think "What are they talking about?" (I often ask them what it is, just out of curiosity.)

To see all of these ongoing changes, and really taking a look at the statistics was surprising, and like I previously said, it's overwhelming. I'm wondering if there will be a point in my life where I'll get so overwhelmed with the growth of technology, I'll become scared of it, or have no idea how to even begin to use it. Even looking at my own parents trying to navigate an e-reader (and struggling,) it's hard for me to figure out why they can't do certain things. It's like second nature to me to use it, and figure it out (and very frustrating to help them!) because I grew up with all of this technology. I wonder what my kids will grow up with in the future.