The Inevitable Progression of Technology

Technology progresses from insider exclusivity to outsider inclusion. When computers were invented, they were massive machines, for professionals only. Then Apple came along, turned them into consumer products, and the rest is modern history. 

Every industry progresses like this. Computers, web development, photography, music, you name it. You used to have to know html coding, and darkroom development. You used to have to buy film and pay for studio time. Now, you can create a website with Squarespace, take a picture on your phone, and record a song on GarageBand.

People aren’t always excited about this technological progression, however. The main pushback sounds something like this: “Now there are a bunch of people running around thinking they are photographers!”

Industry professionals get jaded, possibly because the barrier to entry is lower, and they feel like all the work they did to get into the space is lost. Or maybe they’re mad that the overall average quality is lowered when consumer technology is introduced.  

But what jaded industry pros don’t realize is that this progression doesn’t decrease the quality of their top-tier work. If anything, it pushes top-tier creators to keep elevating in order to differentiate from the masses. Consumer accessibility pushes pros to create even more compelling work.

In the end, technological progression is good because it introduces diverse voices into spaces that were previously prohibitive. 

This is the inevitable march capitalism. There will always be more money in consumer products than business-to-business products. 

What side of progress will you be on? Will you be prepared for your last five years of work to become irrelevant? Are you willing to take what you learned and apply it to the ever-changing industry? Or will you hold on too tightly, until you become irrelevant along with your work?

It’s up to you. Good luck out there.