What does the future hold?
It’s impossible to exactly theorize what is about to happen in the world, but it seems necessary to try as we are at a critical turning point in history. This year we’ve seen a global pandemic charge the world amidst a highly contested election in the United States. This year is all about polarization of politics, healthcare, how much of an impact GAFA (Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple) has on personal consumers and the economy, and how to combat fake news. The issues are heavily rooted in digital literacy and the impact digital media has on everyone. I believe we are in dire need of change, and that change will come throughout the next decade in bewildering ways.
Digital literacy refers to one’s ability to find, evaluate, and compose clear information present on digital platforms. The digital platforms range from news outlets to personal social media accounts. Within this, there is a divide in those who can discern what is true or false, leading to the spread of misinformation, disinformation, and so-called “fake news.” This spread of information has been in the hot seat since before the 2016 election; users are often unaware of what is present on their screens and lack the ability to sift through all of the information presented to them. It has led to countless court cases of big-tech versus the government on their alleged monopoly over other smaller companies and many personal lawsuits over fact-checking and intellectual property.
Within the next decade, digital literacy will likely increase. Possibly as more technology is readily available, or within education. Providing a basis for younger generations to go off of as they grow up in a completely different world than their parents or grandparents will be a monumental step in the direction toward a proper functioning digital world. In privileged parts of the world there is widespread access to tools aimed at bridging the gap; these next few years will be focused on using them and expanding their reach.
Another, more sinister, projection is within artificial intelligence (AI). Due to its learning nature, AI will continue to improve and be applied to life on and offline. Algorithms are only getting smarter and able to project at users more. TikTok’s strong algorithm is leading users toward inner reflection and understanding themselves in ways they did not know were present. Landing on Gay or Straight TikTok, republican or democrat TikTok, or regional TikTok shows how good companies are getting at capturing our information and using it to show us what we want, but also profit off of it.
AI is getting more advanced as time goes on, its likely that a user could ask a bot to input data and have it come up with some genuinely good content. We’ve seen bots analyze tweets and make them into movie scripts, all reading fairly badly but ultimately providing entertainment. I can see us being able to input exactly what we want out of a song and AI being able to produce it. AI has the ability to advance art, music, and everything that is personal to us. Imagine not having to write into a physical journal but a journal being produced based on your online movement. Maybe not as far taken as Claire Boucher aka singer-songwriter Grimes’ argument that really reflects the one percent, but technology will advance beyond human need.
We are headed into uncharted territory. I hope that this critical point in time opens up the discussion on what changes we really need to make on platforms, how to end the cycle of privacy issues, and what technology will mean for education and art. Thus far it’s been quite a trip, it is likely to continue on a similar path.