Where Technology is Going

Few things in the world aren't connected to technology. Technology is an ever-evolving, ever-changing force, getting upgraded and upscaled every chance it gets. Everything around you now could be obsolete in just a few years. Some of these upgrades can be expected, and some may be unexpected. The importance, however, is not if it is expected or not, but where it will go.

An important piece of tech over the last decade have been smartphones. Ever since the release of the  First IPhone way back in 2007, smartphones have been a mainstay in tech culture, and all culture for that matter. The latest coming evolution for smartphones is 5G. 5G networks are being developed to give their smartphone users speeds 10 times faster than on their current 4G network. Most smartphone providers advertise the newer, faster 5G network. In reality, 5G networks will not be ready until the middle of the next decade. According to Mohanbir Sawhney of CNN Business, 5G networks won't be able to provide 10 times as fast speeds as promised until around 2025. The 5G networks on now are basically still developing. It's basically a waiting game for 5G to develop, or a "Hype fest" as said by Mohanbir Sawhney. It's hard to see if the wait will be worth it, but it seems the wait will be worth it.

There is much more to the future of technology than just 5G. Technology is evolving all around us right now. So what better way to talk about the future than to talk about the present. After reading an article by The National, it made me realize that so much technological advancement took place throughout this year. A.I evolved greatly this year, and Apple released AirPods, which became the most popular headphones on the market. Those two things only scratch the surface on A.I.'s evolution this year. Social Media policies changed also, making the platforms more private after it was revealed that the platforms were selling private information, as well as removing any ties to political manipulation of users.

The main point of the article is technology is not a friend, or a foe, it is in fact both. As technology keeps growing it gets smarter, but will it try to help us or manipulate us? Social media is trying to keep us safe, but will it work? The article asks many questions, though not directly. The government is also brought up many times, from President Donald Trump's tweets, to China's regulation of sharing platform TikTok. The article talks about many things, but the main point is that there is good and bad when it comes to technology, and this will continue into the future as tech becomes more evolved.

Some say the future is uncertain, and some say it's certain. Some say the future will be bad, and some say it won't. All I know is, we've got a lot to look forward to in the future. Maybe not as much in the near future, but in five years it will be interesting to see where the human race will be technologically. Maybe 5G will be fully developed, and maybe robots will kill us all in years of war. Whatever happens in the future will be big, no matter if it's good or bad, and it is definitely something to look forward to.

Marsden, Rhodri. "Future friend or foe: how our relationship with technology
     evolved in 2019." The National, 16 Dec. 2019, www.thenational.ae/
     arts-culture/comment/
     future-friend-or-foe-how-our-relationship-with-technology-evolved-in-2019-1.95206
     1. Accessed 16 Dec. 2019.

Sawhney, Mohanbir. "Don't hold your breath for 5G. Most of us won't be using it
     until 2025." CNN, 10 Dec. 2019, www.cnn.com/2019/12/10/perspectives/
     5g-technology-t-mobile-att-verizon/index.html. Accessed 12 Dec. 2019.