【第274回】Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen, “The new digital age”

What are Google ‘guys’ thinking about their technology and future? This is why I wanted to read this book. One of the most amazing things is that they do care for not only information technology but also social issues, for example, communication, terrorism, politics, way of life, and so on.

This is not a book about gadgets, smart-phone apps or artificial intelligence, though each of these subjects will be discussed. This is a book about technology, but even more, it’s a book about humans, and how humans interact with, implement, adapt to and exploit technologies in their environment, now and in the future, throughout the world. Most of all, this is a book about the importance of a guiding human hand in the new digital age. (Kindle ver No. 239)

Their strong will and social concerns are also written about the risk of information technology as below.

This trend will certainly affect how technology companies form, grow and navigate in what will certainly be a tumultuous period. Certain subsections of the technology industry that receive particularly negative  attention will have trouble recruiting engineers or attracting users to and monetizing their products, despite the fact that such atrophying will not solve the problem (and will only hurt the community of users in the end, by denying them the full benefits of innovation). Thick skin will be a necessary for technology companies in the coming years of the digital age, because they will find themselves beset by public concerns over privacy, security and user protections. It simply won’t be possible to avoid these discussions, nor will companies be able to avoid taking a position on the issues. (Kindle ver No. 1153)

Then, what is the most biggest impact to our lives through a big change by technologies?

For citizens, coming online means coming into possession of multiple identities in the physical and virtual worlds. (Kindle ver No. 175)

Especially online technology is going to make us have two worlds, physical one and virtual one. Living in these two worlds at once, we’re faced on having two different identities.

For those who are already connected, living in both the physical and the virtual worlds has become part of who we are and what we do. As we grow accustomed to this change, we also learn that the two worlds are not mutually exclusive, and what happens in one has consequences in the other. (Kindle ver No. 1420)

According to authors, though we tend to have two different identities in both virtual and physical world, they are influencing each other. Two worlds are not separated, but connected. Based on the estimated near future, what should we change to adjust to two parallel worlds? Authors suggest there are four implicating points.

First, it’s clear that technology alone is no panacea for the world’s ills, yet smart uses of technology can make a world of differences. (Kindle ver No. 4391)

Because most of us have fair chance to use technologies, technology itself causes us same benefit. If we want to make us different and competitive to others, we have to become smart users of technologies.

Second, the virtual world will not overtake or overhaul the existing world order, but it will complicate almost every behavior. (Kindle ver No. 4391)

If the virtual world becomes progressed more and more, there will be the physical world for our lives. On the other hand, we have to be prepared for the future world which will be more integrated for two different worlds.

Third, states will have to practice two foreign policies and two domestic policies -- one for the virtual world and one for the physical world -- and these policies may appear contradictory. (Kindle ver No. 4391)

Though this message is sent for the government and politicians, we, as a citizen, have to care for the upcoming two different rules, because we will have to live in both worlds each of which will have own rule.

Finally, with the spread of connectivity and mobile phones around the world, citizens will have more power than at any other time in history, but it will come with costs, particularly to both privacy and security. (Kindle ver No. 4405)

We should consider about pros and cons about having information technologies. Then, it will be needed for us not only to enlarge possibilities and chances of using them, but also lessen risks and weakness of it.

R. Babineaux and J. Krumboltz, “fail fast, fail often”
Sheryl Sandberg, “LEAN IN”
Brad Stone, “the everything store”
“Steve Jobs”, Walter Isaacson, Simon & Schuster, 2011