Technology has been increasingly replacing unskilled and medium-skill labor. Things that were once widespread career options 2-4 generations ago, like assembly line work, textile weaving, calculation, record-keeping, telegraph/radio/phone operators, and so on have been automated by computers and robotics... and as this trend continues on, career options promise to become more scarce in other fields as well.
It's said often enough to become cliche, but it's true that higher education is a requirement to stay competitive in today's world. Information can be spread and shared so much more easily with modern technology, and this should be allowing for new research opportunities, creating new industries, and providing for new growth. Instead we see degree-holders working in restaurants and customer service jobs, or clawing others down as they try to climb the heels of old-money giants.
...suddenly, I'm reminded of a bit from the Hitchiker's Guide series, where Arthur finds himself on a planet populated by hairdressers, waiters, salespeople, and other folks descended from the service sector of a once-great spacefaring culture.
One would think that, as technology is replacing a percentage of the workforce, more money would be freed up to fund new businesses and jobs, but this hasn't been the case; instead, it seems to be trickling up into the hands of leaders of these companies which no longer have to field as large a workforce, and stagnating while it funds the luxuries these people enjoy.
This rant has rambled a bit... but I hope that some day soon, we'll see free access to higher education for all people, regardless of their financial standing. On a similar note, I hope that the Occupy movement, despite its flaws, brings about awareness of how serious the problem of my country's financial stagnation is; with almost 90% of its wealth pooled in the hands of the richest 1/5th of its population, we all suffer and stagnate.
TL;DR - How i fix wurld gais?
Author
Topic: Things that made you sad today thread. (Read 9710126 times)