EDITORIAL: WHY 4IR CANNOT BE IGNORED BY MANKIND
We are all aware of the growing influence of technology on everyday life and how it continues to escalate with each passing moment. We are more dependent on technology today than we were last year. Yes, it might seem like a short period of time for there to be any noticeable shifts and turns, but a closer look will reveal just how much technology continues to be an integral part of our lives – and how we abide by its trajectory.
The influence of technology is often referred to as ‘digital disruption’ – something that made arrival and decided to take the wheel. With digital disruption, we find that what used to be the norm with how we do things, conduct ourselves is no longer the same.
For example, how people work today is heavily influenced by what is known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). This is a phenomenon referring to the digital revolution which has been slowly building up over the past decades.
The technological revolution has fundamentally altered the way we live, work, and even how we relate to one another. When it comes to the aspect of work, the digital influence is now virtually in control of everything.
Today, almost everything we do at work has a technological element to it. We cannot do away with technology even if we tried. So, where does this leave us? According to technology experts such as Jumanne Mtambalike, the impact of technology on the future of work cannot be avoided. You either adapt or perish along the way.
What this means, is that every individual needs to ensure they upgrade their skills to fit into the description of a new-age employee.
Whereas the world is cognizant of the impending alteration of every life’s sphere due to technology, the scale and scope of such alterations remain a mystery. But according to tech experts and academicians, everyone need to be fully prepared. As such, they call for integrated and comprehensive efforts from everyone – right from those in the public sector, to everyone working in the private sector and other stakeholders, we need to have concerted efforts in tabling strategies that will ensure the technology revolution doesn’t have irreversible adverse effects on the global community.
Determining our own destiny
The fourth industrial revolution is something that has been created by mankind, and so it is us who need to find ways to adapt with the very changes that we influenced.
When it comes to the employment field, many graduates today are bemoaning the lack of job opportunities. But as we understand, the more technology continues to take shape the worse it will get for youth and the unimpressive number of jobs available that require human effort to work will no longer be on the table.
What the technology revolution is calling for is agility and innovative tendencies that will keep pace with modern times. Today’s youth are more availed to digital creativities that it is easier for them to align with the changing shift of how the world operates. Self-employment skills that bank on technology are becoming ubiquitous as we slowly navigate the new world order.
