When you walk into a college, you are bound to see myriad cultures, religions, ages, styles, and smiling faces. These faces will more than likely pass by you in the blink of an eye, and not give you much to remember them by. However, perhaps there is more to each of these smiles in a sea of young bustling students, and perhaps these individuals are doing more for our culture and the technology we use within it than you previously thought.
In fact, although you and, perhaps even they, may not realize it, the millennial generation of students are actually transforming our culture into a far more connected and technologically advanced one through their sheer impact on the tech industry as a whole. Although it may be hard to recognize at first, their contributions to technology in education, our culture as a whole, and business may actually transform the way we look at the world in its entirety. Perhaps, the next time you stare down a hallway of bustling college students, you’ll begin to notice more than just their smiling faces and positive outlooks.
Technology in Education
Although this may seem obvious to some, the actual scope of the millennial generation’s contributions to tech in education is much larger than most people realize. In fact, their opinions even matter to some of the largest tech companies in the market and the way they complete work, and testing actually may revolutionize the way testing is handled likewise.
When it comes to their influence on the industry, Google’s new laptop offerings target the student market, and for good reason. In the end, some of the most avid laptop users come in the form of the hardworking students across the nation. Whether it be studying, writing essays, helping out their fellow students, keeping track of college activities, or even taking online courses, the laptop is the integral part of staying productive in college. Taking note of this, multiple large tech companies such as Google have begun to market themselves with the younger generation specifically in mind.
The main reason that this is a good thing is advancement. Because the younger generation is seemingly built upon the need for better and new at all times, these companies have begun to transform the way they look at technology as a whole. Instead of creating the same thing over and over, and simply improving upon each iteration, tech companies have recognized that, by trying to make something that is unique rather than improved, they can ultimately target the younger market every time. In turn, no matter what age you happen to be, you get to reap the benefits of a constantly changing tech market without actually having to constantly buy incremental upgrades.
Similarly, the millennial generation targets education with technology in yet another way. Through online examination software and learning, young adults have opened up the opportunity to grow and learn for people that they otherwise may have never been able to. In turn, people are finally beginning to see the hidden value of an online education and how it can significantly alter the way we learn as a country in turn. With both their influence on the market, and on the way we learn as a whole in mind, it is no surprise that technology in education has expanded, and the outcome has been a far more educated and informed world as we know it.
Technology in Our Culture
To fully describe just how much the millennial generation has transformed our culture through technology would take a lifetime. However, one of the most influential ways they have transformed our culture is through the eyes of the consumer, and the popularization of tech. By simply looking as U.S. consumer trends alone, we can see exactly how big of an impact technology has had on our world since the dawn of the millennial generation. From the popularization of social media all the way to the sheer increase in overseas interaction, the world has become a far more connected and far easier place to live in.
In fact, this globalization has led to an increase in the desire for information as a culture and, in turn, the average age of the entrepreneur has decreased and advancements continue to increase. Through this, we may finally see not only a younger generation taking hold of big business, but also a younger generation transforming our world through the information they receive online as well.
Technology in Business
Perhaps one of the most exciting ways that the millennial generation is transforming the tech industry is through the businesses they have helped thrive by using it. For instance, there is a clear disparity in the way that business owners treat baby boomers vs millennials in the workplace. From the implementation of far more telecommuting opportunities helping to reduce the amount of cars on the road to the use of project management software to ensure deadlines are completed without the massive amounts of paper typically involved, the millennials have it right. Not only are these young individuals making the workplace a more exciting place to be in, but they are also helping the environment by reducing paper waste and car usage alike.
In the end, there are countless ways that these young individuals are transforming the tech industry and the world around it, but knowing some of these ways may help you to gain a certain appreciation for a generation often perceived to be spoiled and whiny in nature. After all, the millennial generation may do things differently — but, perhaps, different isn’t always wrong.