by Ruth Aine - 01 February 2014

I put out a question on social media recently as I was trying to pick a few minds on this topic”. Who are the biggest game changers of our time? The only answer that I got was: “David Moyes, he changed Manchester United's game for worse.” NO, I was looking for 'game changers' per se, but well I got an answer.

That aside: the things that have made a difference in this world are the things that we have grown accustomed to. They are, what we say, we cannot live without. For some they are 'rights', to others they are entitlements. And these are things that we sometimes take for granted.

Technology: The application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry. I am not sure that is even a definition that I would accept for that word. I like to look at it as the scientific knowledge that makes life easier. At least that is what it has been for me, I do not know about the rest.

Technology disrupted the way things were done. It was and is still creating opportunities. Nanotech, Biotech, Infotech. All has become a way of life. According to research by Peter Fisk, there are currently about 50 billion devices connected with each person having, on average, 8 devices. And this is happening, anytime, anywhere. People are using technology to talk, work, play, learn and shop and it has slowly become an integral part of our lives. New experiences are created every day and people are able to do much more today than ever before. It allows for humanity to enhance their lives. It has changed how we learn and how we think, allowing us to create small ideal worlds for ourselves. With technology, there are no boundaries, there are no impossibilities.

Education: Believe it or not education has played a big role in changing the universe, creating a shift in the way things are done in the whole world. Over the years, education has evolved and expanded with new types of institutions. We have had deeper and more effective education. We have more access to education, and it is more affordable as in the past. There are millions of lives that have been transformed by education. Education has enabled research which has in turn enhanced innovation. Informed decision making and analysis are all advantages of education. It is important to note that education has reduced poverty, it offers the poor a route to a better life. Good quality education that improves learning outcomes increases economic growth. In turn, economic growth reduces poverty because it tends to increase wages people can earn from working in agriculture and the urban informal sector. Education makes it more likely for men and women not just to be employed, but to hold jobs that are more secure and provide good working conditions and decent pay.

These are my two biggest game changers of the times. They have disrupted the normality of life to such an extent that we have to call them a part of life. I know that the majority of us that are reading this cannot imagine a life without education and technology. Other schools of thought have looked at innovation as the other big game changer. I do not disagree, but also wholly believe that innovation is a result of both technology and education. What do you think?

Ruth Aine Tindyebwa
Blogger/Online Communications

Read her personal blog; IN DEPTH which is at www.ruthaine.com

Read more about the author and her view on being a futurist.