September 23, 2013 |
A global computer-based communication network has fundamentally changed our social, cultural, and political landscape over the past 20 years. As an evolutionary anthropologist, I have to point out that there has been no previous communication revolution of this speed or intensity. Consequently, this communication tool gives us the power to completely restructure our entire existence, both on an individual and collective level.
As inescapably pervasive as the Internet’s emergence has been, fewer scientists are studying it, than you would think. Even fewer scientists are attempting to situate its emergence within the context of our technological evolution, or understand its potential future development in the 21st century.
So I’ll ask… what will the Internet be in 2050?
Today, I can’t help but notice that the Internet is getting more and more intelligent. When it first emerged it was passive and unorganized. Today, it is massively active, alerting you about opportunities that may interest you. It is also massively organized, with weighted hyperlinks, wikis, and powerful search engines.
Also, consider the obvious:
1) We keep giving the Internet more and more data every year
2) We keep using the Internet more and more every year
3) And finally, more and more of us are able to use the Internet every year
The end goal of some of these trends seem evident to me. We will eventually have all of our lives recorded in some way, shape, or form on the Internet. Some of this information may exist in mediums that don’t currently exist today.
We will also eventually have our entire communication existence mediated in some way through the Internet. The devices that we use to access the Internet keep getting smaller, and more intimately accessible. Will they eventually just become a part of our bodies this century? After the “wearables” revolution, the “internals” revolution will probably not be far behind.
And clearly all humans will eventually be able to access the Internet, wherever they are. Just consider the Google Loom project. All 7 billion of us (and then 8 billion, and then 9 billion of us) all interacting seamlessly and intimately on the Internet in new digital worlds of our own making.
Sharing, commenting, liking, buying, selling, writing, tweeting, hash-tagging.
Internet users per 100 inhabitants
No comments:
Post a Comment