Our place in the World

Hi DeeRambeau!

You always offer interesting posts. It’s hard to believe how quickly the world is changing. I am surprised to learn how fast China has grown. As Americans, it’s easy to think we will be on top for ever, but this may not last much longer. Just like England was the leader of the world 100 years ago, America’s power may soon be turning over to someone else.

Everyone says that we are the technology generation, but it is hard to believe how much this new age is changing our lives. It’s frightening to think that computers will soon have a higher thinking capacity then most of us. Will we end up in a matrix-like world? I know this is far-fetched and unlikely, but it’s hard to not think about the impact of having machines that can out think the human brain. Our brains have always been the one thing that has separated us from all other creatures.

I like how the clip points out that we are preparing for jobs that don’t even exist yet. Sometimes, I feel like that with social media in public relations. While some companies are starting to embrace blogging and social media, many have yet to create positions for these activities. In my classes, I’m being prepared for these positions and learning materials that many firms have yet to even hear about.

It’s always interesting to think about where the future may take us. Thanks for posting the clip!

Dee,
I actually watched this clip in my management when we were learning about paradigm shifts. I was a little overwhelmed, probably because of the music, but it makes you think. Some of the facts are shocking, especially the ones about technology and education.

After watching the clip, my management teacher gave us numerous examples of companies that ignored paradigm shifts. Many of the companies missed opportunities to enter into new markets, create new products and embrace new technologies. It’s easy to ignore shifts, especially if they are happening every day, but I believe it can be detrimental to any organization.

In the PR world, there are new social media tools being used every day. Although these tools may not be helpful to all organizations, it is important for organizations to at least research these tools. If organizations are aware of these tools they may be able to reach their target audience better and stay competitive within their market. Thanks for reminding of the clip, it’s definitely an eye-opener!

Dee,
After watching this clip, I find it difficult to process all of the facts I just viewed. It seems we get so caught up in our daily lives that we forget about the world around us.

One thing that really stood out to me in that clip is how vastly different our access to information is than 100 years ago, 20 years ago and even 5 years ago. It is amazing that one can find information on any topic at the click of a button (which the clip showed when it quoted how often Google is used). As technology continues to advance, information is being processed quicker and with more innovation, thus changing the world in which we live.

It is also interesting to look ahead when realizing how difficult it is to anticipate the changes that will happen in the future. Although I am not in the workplace yet, the skills required and jobs offered presently are very different than those in the past. If technology continues to advance as the clip predicted, I cannot even fathom what students will be learning about and preparing for that we don’t even know about now. Thanks for sharing this interesting clip!

You’re right, not as weird as Charlie the Unicorn… but just as interesting! It’s crazy just to think about how far along computers have come since I was in elementary school and it was only used to write “papers” and play Oregon Trail (great, now I sound like my parents). The possibilities of the internet were unfathomable. Now, every elementary student today was probably conceived from the meeting of an internet dating site!

I am probably one of the minute few that is still not a member of MySpace(don’t get me wrong, I’m highly involved in Facebook though or I’d be living under a rock). But that’s scary to think, I consider myself an avid user of the internet and a beginner in the learning of social media, and I’m not a part of something so major it could be it’s own country. Only makes you think what’s out there to come…

P.S. A little trivia for you, that same music is played in “Braveheart.”

Wow. This is really all I can say right now at the moment. I am in total awestruck and seriously have chills running up my body. This “technological shift” is something that I was aware of and knew a little about, but it was just put into very clear, simple terms of how fast and powerful it is growing.

After watching this clip, I have a million things racing through my mind and I’m not even sure how I feel about it right now. The growth of technology and the fast improvements of computers are always topics that I have not communicated much about, mainly because it scares me to some degree. I appreciate technology and computers, very much I might add, but the fact that in about 17 years there will be a computer that surpasses the human brain is not a subject to be taken lightly. Technology and computers have done so much to improve the daily lives of the entire world, whether it be direct or not. However, it scares me knowing that technology will surpass the human brain. What is to happen after that? I fear that society will rely too heavily on computers- I fear that they will grow less smart by having a machine perform it all for them.

I have so many mixed emotions running through me - I will move on for now. The two statistics the blew me out of the water were: Every 1 out of 8 couples married last year met online and The amount of texts sent and received daily exceed the planet’s population. I had no clue of this!!! This information is not only astonishing, but it goes to show how heavily our world has become reliant upon technology.

Dee, thank you for sharing this video with us. I am glad that we were able to view this - it has definitely given me a lot to think about. My appreciation for technology has grown, but I have also realized the importance of not getting so wrapped up in our daily motions and the future that we forget about the pure, simple things of life.

This video was very interesting. A lot of the things that were brought up have never crossed my mind before. Technology is changing so much and that makes me very nervous. It seems like just when you are getting use to some new innovation, something else is invented the next day that is bigger and better. Our world is so dependent on technology that I couldn’t imagine who we would respond if it was taken away. We would have no clue what to do. Technology has improved every aspect of our lives, but what happens when it exceeds our capabilities?

It seems like we already know that technology is about to change and adapt so rapidly that we won’t even be able to prepare for it. But to see the actual numbers and statistics is mind-numbing. The first statistic that actually struck me was how many jobs we will have by the time we’re 38. I thought to myself, “That’s unreal.” Then I really thought about it, and recalled that I have already held 4 jobs, and I haven’t even graduated college yet.

The video talks a lot about how the information and training students take in during college today will be useless in a few years, but I disagree. Sure, some of the technical training and technology will change. We all know that, it is to be expected. Professors like Robert are training us to be able to embrace that change when it comes. Just like we are embracing blogging and social media, we will have the confidence and ability to take on other innovations or new practices. Perhaps I’m being over-confident in the human race, but I have faith that we’ll adapt along with technological advancements. Those who don’t embrace technology, however, will have a hard time keeping up with the rest of us.

This presentation was amazing. I watched it twice. This is ironic that you posted this today because I just had a conversation with my Mom last night about how far technology has come since my sister graduated in 2000. I was baffled with all of the facts but it stood out to me that if MySpace was a country, it would be the 11th largest between Mexico and Japan. I think the facts presented a very eye-opening future, yet, I have learned in just a few short years that change is going to happen, technologically speaking. We are lucky enough to be in the generation where we welcome it and explore it with an open mind. If you get scared of change or worried for what’s to come, you’ll be left in the dust. All we can do is take things as they come and make the best of it. Thanks for the link!

Wow! What a video! I can’t believe some of the statistics that were given. It’s hard to think that in just 10-15 years, technology will surpass human knowledge, and at such a small cost. It makes you feel a little dumber I must say.

This just emphasizes the point that Robert brings up in class about staying on top of technology. There is so much out there and it’s easy to be left behind. And in the world of PR, there is no room for being out-of-date or uninformed.

Thanks for putting this up in the blog and letting us know what’s going on. This serves as a motivator for me, that’s for certain!!

There are a lot of thoughts running through my head right now. And I hate to be the “outcast” but all of these percentages are so high because of the sheer number of people that populate China and India. Yes, there may be a large number of honor students, but it never states the statistics for the population of the U.S.
It is shocking and comical that MySpace would be the 11th largest country.
And not to jump around too much, but the U.S. will not be the powerhouse it has been forever. We have to realize that 1.) Our resources are not unlimited and 2.) neither is our political power.
If we put as much focus on our country as we have to others, I think our power may last longer. Altough I’m not saying we should ignore other counries, but we should educate, assist and feed other countries.
Thanks Dee. Always a pleasure!

This is a very interesting movie with unbelievable percentages. I don’t know what to think about it because I am not the best at hands on, new technology. It is very true and unbelievable how fast technology is improving and the myspace stastic was very interesting.
We are a part of a very significant time period in our country in regards to technology where we are watching changes happen and learning as we go. I am glad these changes are taking place while I am in college so that I can learn new technological advances from my courses. Hopefully I can keep up with these advancements because I know they are very important in the P.R. world.

I’ve now watched this clip twice, and both times I feel like I’m being slapped in the face with information. What an amazing clip! But I will admit it makes me feel like I’m going to need to re-do college again in about 20 years to keep up.

We are a part of a changing technological world, but I think it is very necessary to remember personal communication without technology. Hard copy and hand shakes aren’t something technology is going to replace. Personality and people skills will still be very important. So as we change our world, I hope everyone still teaches their children about the impact of personal contact. You can’t get hugs from cell phones and the Internet.

While the statistics presented in the video are astounding, they could be potentially fantastic news for public relations professionals if used correctly. Never before have public relations professionals had EVERY public essential to their organization right at their fingertips. The microcasm that is the Internet is an infinitely useful tool for sending the right messages to the right people at the right time. The video does not scare me; it excites me! In a way, it’s going to make our future jobs easier. I welcome the changing times.

First of all…I liked the “annoying” music. But then again, I play the violin and I’m a nerd so that might be why.

The video really made me stop and think. It kind of scared me in a way. Computers out-thinking humans (which I thought they already did to an extent) seems like a scary movie that involves robots. But maybe we could have really smart, nice robots.

I think this video proves that one can never stop learning and acquiring knowledge. Everything changes-especially technology. Even after college I feel like I’m going to be constantly learning new things and trying to catch my breath to keep up!