For the remainder of 2019 stay tuned to Research World for monthly articles that share the insights from a global survey with over 2,000 youths aged 11-18 years old. This series will explore:
- How youths currently use technology, such as voice and social media. For example, did you know that 47% of youths have more than one social media account on at least one social media platform?
- How youths think emerging technologies will impact their education, working life and healthcare.
Welcome back to Youth on Tech. Until now, we’ve been exploring youth’s usage and feelings towards current technologies (e.g. voice and social media). This article, the fifth in the series, now looks to the future, exploring how youths think emerging technologies will impact them and the generation that succeeds them, focussing on education and employment.
Technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Blockchain are revolutionising entire industries such as advertising and banking respectively. Given that technology’s development is unlikely to slow down anytime soon, we wanted to understand how youths feel about emerging technologies.
Most Youths Think Future Technology Will Be Positive for Them
Generally, youths are optimistic and upbeat about the impact technology will have on their lives. Emotions such as happiness and excitement are felt by most youths when asked to think about the role technology will play in their lives in the next 10 years.
However, some youths aged 16-18 years old temper this optimism with apprehension. Approximately ¼ state they are concerned (27%) when thinking about future technology and that it makes them nervous (19%) and scared (17%).
The Future Curriculum May Include AI and Robotics
What will children 20 years from now be taught in school to prepare them for a vastly different workplace? When posed this question, youths prioritise STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects and emerging fields such as Computer Science and Robotics. Of the non-STEM subjects, youths think that languages are the most likely to still be taught in schools in 20 years’ time. This is despite services such as Google Translate and instant translation devices such as Ili.
STEM subjects also dominate when youths choose the single subject they think will be the most important to study in 20 years’ time. However, this focus on the most important subject brings Computer Science and AI to the top of the list. This shows a slight shift in what youths think will be taught (existing STEM subjects) and what they think will be the most important to teach (emerging technologies).
Who Better to Teach Robotics in School Than Robots?
Future changes to schools aren’t limited to the curriculum. Robotics may in fact be taught by robots. 73% of youths think robots will eventually teach in schools. Furthermore, 46% believe this will occur in the next 20 years. Robotic teaching may allow for more personalised learning and provide a solution to the growing classroom sizes in secondary schools in the UK. Students learn at different paces and the ability to tailor a lesson to each pupil’s learning speed could be powerful.
Despite this, 80% of youths also think that the teaching profession isn’t under threat from technology. This suggests youths see robotic teachers as supplementary as opposed to replacements for human teachers. Stand down John Connor.
So, if education needs to change to accommodate a new job market, what does this job market look like?
Cleaners and Taxi Drivers Will Be the Most Effected by Technology
AI and automation can potentially disrupt the job market more than previous technology. 57% of today’s jobs are vulnerable to automation. Even creative jobs aren’t safe from AI – algorithms have already written musical pieces and contributed to creative filmmaking decisions.
Youths planning their future careers may need to take into account the effect automation is going to have on the job market. For governments, it is important to consider which jobs are at most risk of automation so that support can be provided for those most in need. Youths believe those jobs to be cleaners and taxi drivers followed by those in customer service. Vocations least effected by automation according to youths will be athletes, entrepreneurs/inventors and courtroom judges and lawyers. The latter two involving human judgement to impact another human’s life.
Youths are Divided on Whether Humans Working Less Is Good or Bad
Much like the apprehension shown by youths aged 16-18 with regards to future technology in general, 62% of that age group also consider humans working less a bad thing compared to only 41% of 11-12 year olds. Being older, they’re likely more aware of the social, financial and political ramifications of such a colossal change in the job market.
Next month is a bumper edition of Youth on Tech with two articles:
1) Future technology’s impact on health
2) How insights from this research were shared with the technology industry
