The majority of Americans are growing anxious about the jobs situation in the United States today. Weak job creation effects us all, even the employed, as the state of the economy appears to be on a downward slope yet again. Everyday, your average American is going out to buy the day-to-day products they need to survive, and occasionally they'll have enough funds left over to splurge and go out on the town. Products are becoming more expensive while the contents of our wallets are dwindling and experiencing more alone time. Obviously, they are not being used as much. Jobs have always been a commodity in the past, but today, not having and retaining your employment could have catastrophic consequences, not only for the unemployed individual, but for the future of our country.
Now, in an upcoming political year that is certain to be volatile and ideologically separative, we can already hear the main battle cry "JOBS JOBS JOBS." Politicians of any political party will try their best to come up with the best jobs creation plan. They will attack each others' approach and sling nasty words back and forth like a "Yo mamma's so ugly" battle, but none of them will tell us the truth: in today's digital world, the common job is becoming obsolete due to technology.
This isn't an uninformed assertion, but a fact that needs to be addressed so we can resolve the question of where new jobs can be created. We live in an era where jobs are being reduced as a result of amazing technology. Take the age old profession of retail cashiers for example. Up until the 80's to early 90's, such jobs were a mandatory part of the purchasing process. You bought your Spam in aisle 7, took it to Flo in checkout lane 2, paid, and walked out the door. The business landscape - just 2 decades later - has changed remarkably. The retail cashier is being phased out. Now, most retail stores have a very intricate software application, attached to a unobtrusive piece of hardware, that scans your items, adds them for you, takes your coupons, and gives you an option on how to pay. It's quick, painless, and it makes you laugh at the poor schlubs in the "real person" line. Cashiers are expected to increase a measly 4% by 2018. And even that number seems high.
Other day-to-day occupations such as restaurant servers are in trouble too. Recently, a restaurant decided to do away with servers all together by placing iPads on their dining tables. The customer flips through the menu, orders his or her food, and guess what...I bet their orders won't be screwed up when the food gets to the table! Bank tellers, gas station attendants, telephone operators, and many other job titles are going bye-bye fast as a result emerging technology. And now, we are hearing alarming reports of the US Post Office closing up shop. Tech has changed the game...and it's only going to change it more.
So what do we need to do to create jobs? We need to invest in the education of our citizens to create better technology, and keep up with the rest of the world who is already on board with the importance of technology education. Kind of a vicious circle, huh? But the tech industry needs educated system architects and designers. Tech innovation will eventually make most worldwide professions obsolete. The question is: will it happen in our lifetime? Many experts see technology growing so exponentially that a “Singularity,” or rebirth, of the human race is coming soon. Scientists like Raymond Kurtzweil, who is lauded by the likes of Bill Gates, Colin Powell, and others, believes that in our lifetime, the human race will infuse elements of technology into our bodies, and promote longer living, and better quality of life.
For the politicians that are already traveling on their buses to preach their job creation epiphanies, for once, tell it like it is --we must educate our citizens more than ever before to grow jobs in the US. Stop focusing on filling positions that were important 50 years ago, and start informing your constituents about how the world is today. Start planning for the future. Computer science should be mandatory for all children k-12, and its importance must be drilled into our children's heads. We can't get in the time machine and pretend that professions are still viable when they have obviously been phased out by our technological progress. We CAN educate our populous much better. We CAN remove the rearview mirror of historic job creation. We CAN get smarter and more competitive worldwide. We CAN create jobs… but we must be realistic about how to do so in today's digital world.
SDSol specializes in Custom Software Development, Mobile Apps, and strategic E-Commerce Solutions. We increase revenue for small, medium, and large businesses all over the world. Our certified software developers create new and innovative business applications every day.
SDSol specializes in Custom Software Development, Mobile Apps, and strategic E-Commerce Solutions. We increase revenue for small, medium, and large businesses all over the world. Our certified software developers create new and innovative business applications every day.
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