The Internet of Things

We live and breathe technology. Wi-Fi is the the air all around us - we feel naked without having some sort of connection to the online world. The internet is such a huge part of our world, it is hard for us to imagine a life without online connectivity. It has evolved so much over the years - it is truly amazing to realize and contrast the technology of today and from a mere two years ago. A huge example of this is the Internet of Things, or commonly referred to as the IoT. I believe this is the most important and impactful technology of today - it has the potential to become increasingly beneficial and essential in our lives.

The Internet of Things is having commonplace electronics and appliances connected via the internet into a simple manageable connection. Jacob Morgan at Forbes defines the IoT simply as “…the concept of basically connecting any device with an on and off switch to the Internet (and/or to each other).” It is phenomenal - you can connect appliances such as your fridge, your thermostat and your washing machine all to your smartphone and access them remotely. In combination with this IoT technology comes the further inventions of wearable technology, such as Apple’s soon to be released iWatch and Google’s Glass. As the ability to connect advances, more and more of our lives become entangled in online networking. This then brings up the questions: Is this beneficial for society and our lives? Is it safe? How will it change the future?

Some people approach the IoT and wearable technology cautiously. They are concerned with what will happen to social interaction, and what affect the IoT will have on consumer products. With so many people connected to their various devices, what will happen to face to face conversation? While technology changes the way we communicate, it doesn’t mean it is for the worse. While face to face conversation is important, communication over long distances has never been easier. Instead of being concerned we will miss important social interaction, we should focus on all the opportunities we have to connect with friends far off and share more of our lives. Like says in his article on Generation Moth, “Technology will build thriving interpersonal relationships for Generation Moth, who will share more experiences together without ever having to physically be in the same place.”

Security is a popular topic when concerns about uprising technology is addressed. It everything is connected, isn’t the potential for some one to hack your systems and discover your information even higher? Could the convenience of having universal connectivity be harmful in the long run? While security could and most likely become an issue, there has always been security issues. As computer viruses come out, updated antivirus software is released and more efficient firewalls are created. For example, the company SANS is working on creating training courses and security technology especially for the IoT to ensure that that users’ information is safe and kept from cyber theft. As convenience technology moves on, so will security. There will always be security concerns, and there have always been security concerns. We should look at it as another challenge that is necessary during the next step in innovative technology.

The Internet of Things will change the future. Like everything once invented, it effects our lifestyle and how we see the world and society. With this new technology, the way we do things will be very different. Tasks we once had to spend much time on will and are now done quickly. But this will free up our time to create new things, new tasks and spend time building creativity and learning more about our lives. We’ve learned to adapt to other new technology - we will learn to adapt to this one. The future is bright, and exciting, and we should embrace the change that comes with new inventions.

Technology has been evolving, changing our lives everyday since the moment man first learned to garden. It’s a part of life. Impersonal communications will always change with technology - but we make the change good or bad. Cyber security will always be a problem, so we will always continue to fight it. Technology will change us personally, but decide what kind of change it is. The IoT is just the next new thing. We will adapt it, learn it, live with it, and move on.




Sources:

"Don't Underestimate the Impact of the Internet of Things” Kavis, Mike. Forbes. http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikekavis/2014/07/21/dont-underestimate-the-impact-of-the-internet-of-things/



“A Simple Explanation of the Internet of Things” Morgan, Jacob. Forbes. http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacobmorgan/2014/05/13/simple-explanation-internet-things-that-anyone-can-understand/



“Generation Moth” Schybergson, Olaf. Wired. http://www.wired.com/2014/06/generation-moth/