A possibility is not a capability in the hyperconnected world

Since its creation internet was a promise. It would provide us a vast amount of information and connect us globally. Thanks to internet, we would find new solutions for all fields of business and solve societal problems.

And yes, almost all of us use the internet. But how many of us can shape it? Do you know how to code?

Almost all of us know how to search information from the internet, but how many of us can go beyond Google? Do you know how their algorithms select the information presented to you?

According to Harvard Business Review, there will be more devices than human connected to internet in 2018. In a hyperconnected world a possibility might not be a capability. The access to information and the possibility to use all kinds of technologies doesn’t necessarily mean a capability to do so.

The new world will be defined by complex network systems, internet of things and connected devices. It is twisty and the ones that understand the system certainly have more power in the future.

There will be a significant global increase in accessible information in the future. This is due to the increasing number of people who are connected to the internet as well as the amount of content that is published online. 

There has been a lot of optimism when talking about this development. But there is no neutral technology. Because people have a lot more information than they could have ever imagined and they are more closely connected to each other, they would be able to use the information in meaningful ways and solve complex problems together.

What will happen in the future? Will some of us be left out in the cold? The different scenarios provide us with different answers. This notion presents the first tension of the scenario report – the so-called universalism of capabilities.

The Naked Approach scenario publication will present two different outcomes for future. Demos Helsinki will publish the scenarios at Slush 2015 on 11th of November.

This is the first blog post in the series of “The key tensions of the hyperconnected world”. The outcomes of these tensions will shape the future of our society. They are the basis for two future scenarios about the hyperconnected world.

Other tensions:
Future of work is one of hyperconnected world’s key tensions
How to ensure sustainable and happy life in the future?
Multiplying computing power will revolutionize the forms of ownership
The changes leading to hyperconnected world will shape our values and identities 

More about Naked Approach project can be found here.