Ready to learn Big Data? Browse Big Data Training & Certification courses developed by industry thought leaders and Experfy in Harvard Innovation Lab.
What can our minds trust? What's real today? The world is filled with technology, media, data and a massive amount of content that provides conflicting viewpoints. In fact, the din created by debates over what information is real, and what's not, grows louder by the day. Furthermore, consumers are growing increasingly cautious as marketers leverage big data technology to refine their innovative techniques for separating people from their hard-earned money.
The Challenge in Healthcare Is Real
The information overload conundrum will grow more relevant as the digital universe expands. One field that's heavily affected by the proliferation of big data is healthcare. Today's healthcare leaders must adapt to a new operating environment that's a moving target, while navigating through a whirlwind of solutions, with no hope of satisfying the clear majority of consumers – for now.
Patients who’ve grown weary of misdiagnoses and rising drug prices are taking matters into their own hands. They’re going online to find information about making self-diagnoses as well as holistic and wellness practices that can eliminate the need for expensive medications. Combined with the crop of consumers who now use wearable devices to help their physicians monitor and evaluate their health, these activities are creating a tsunami of data and inundating today's enterprises. While trying to manage this overabundance of information, the American healthcare system must rebuild its relationship with the public while doing its best to improve community health outcomes.
If the world's enterprises think that they have a problem managing their current digital assets, they'll surely suffer from information shock in the coming years, as the information generated by big data systems expands exponentially. Despite the seemingly insurmountable challenges faced by today's business leaders in learning how to fully leverage big data, most horde as much information as they can possibly gather — even though recently surveyed executives from around the world believe that they can only leverage 10-percent of their information assets. The thinking behind this is that they believe the more information that they have, the more that they can learn about consumers and generate profits.
Coping With Tech Overload
Many of today's consumers are constantly looking at screens and using technology, apps and their brains, while generating an inordinate amount of data. Technology and data won't go away. There is an estimated need for 1.5 million additional managers and analysts in the U.S. who can utilize analytics and big data for results. Technology and big data is taking over, and shaping peoples mindsets and creating new behaviors too. Using analytics and big data information can help create higher returns for companies, when analyzed well. However, a growing number of people are beginning to recognize the dangers of technology addiction, and data overload, and need ways to cope.
Balancing Information & Wellness
To combat workers’ dependence on technology, more enterprise leaders are promoting mindfulness practices that create balance while improving health and well-being. Meanwhile, healthcare providers are recommending new practices to promote mind/body wellbeing. Still, the onus is on consumers to better manage their wellness and limit their use of social media and technology. No doubt, yoga, meditation and mindful practices are necessary, and can help with mental health by reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety and more. Today, people must learn what’s best for them, and seek out ways to balance life, work, technology, and wellbeing.
In 2014, researchers revealed that more people had access to mobile phones than toilets and that 90-percent of Americans keep their cellphone at arm’s length 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In this information laden world, people need to take time to destress. They must take care of their body and mind and seek serenity to cope with a daily data deluge and ongoing stresses of life.
For now, technology giants – such as Apple, Facebook and Google – are increasingly recognizing the dangers of information overload, but they – like consumers – are faced with a conundrum. The Internet, smart devices and social media are too useful to go without for most people and enterprises. However, the world’s digital giants are each promoting their own campaigns to encourage consumers to temper their exposure to technology.
Technology is everywhere. Data is overwhelming businesses and consumers, and peoples’ independence on technology is impacting their behavior and state of mind. Resultantly, it's imperative that consumers remain mindful and self-aware of the information that they’re absorbing. They can't rely on tech companies, nor well-intentioned app developers, to heal their addiction to their devices. Now is the time to relearn what it means to live, without being shackled by the power of technology and innovation.
