It is both easy and difficult to live in the digital age. It is easy because there are many opportunities that can be exploited. We can only survive if we’re able to handle the numeric age. Welcome to it, especially for the younger generation. No longer will they associate age with wisdom, success with experience, and well-being with formal education.
In the age of numbers, children often make more than their parents. On the other hand the same children need to pick the brains of adults who have succeeded not only through their education, but also their sense of direction in the cruel world pragmatism.
Diplomas are no longer as important as they used to be. The skills that are acquired in universities are not always compatible with the job market. In the past, knowing Microsoft Word was enough to get a job. Today, it is no more impressive than being literate.
Literacy is not just the ability to read or write. Literacy today means being able to program and use computers. The earlier a child learns, the better it is for everyone. One of the most important characteristics of our age is that people must become specialists as early as possible.
Another question is whether this would be good or bad for the fragile nervous system of children and their immature minds. The old patterns of relativeness between jobs and qualifications no longer work. The extant useless paradigms must be replaced with more effective ones. The system of continuous learning will work in the labor markets of every nation, including Georgia. This will allow the workforce to be requalified without worrying about diplomas that are undervalued and instead focusing on matching their personal skills and abilities with the current market requirements. In the future, many of the disciplines taught in schools may be dropped from the curriculum due to their obsolescence. Beyond the school walls, modern youth can receive an education that is compatible with their talents and abilities. Georgia is a good example, where people are always asking if the system prepares the kids for the future, ensuring their independence by making them real problem solvers and decision makers.
A profession is another problem in this country. The most successful people of our time tell us that certain professions are more suited to the future than others. For example, work in artificial intelligence involves programming machines to mimic human behavior and think like humans. This makes our lives more creative and productive. Energy is another good choice, as it could help improve the climate or tackle poverty faster. The third choice is biological science. It gives us the chance to improve human life quality and prolong it.
When considering career opportunities, I would still keep in mind four preconditions: attraction, reward, significance, self-improvement. In the academic pursuit, it is important to consider the readiness to master how to learn, what to study, and why, as employment depends largely on our previous learning.
Employment is important to all of us. It’s not just for our physical survival. A person who is unemployed has no way to be happy. To be hired, you need to be compatible with labor market and not just educated. A hiring company wants a good worker, not merely someone who is enlightened. This is a healthy attitude towards education, and these thoughts are from some of the greatest pragmatists in our time. We should believe them and heed their words!
Nugzar B.Ruhadze, OP-ED
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