According to a new report by the Pew Research Center and Elon University’s Imagining the Internet Center, over the next few years, that will become much more difficult to do.
Almost half of the world’s population is connected online. And technology is constantly looming in our lives: the Nest thermostat regulates our household temperature, a camera watches our dogs, our health is constantly monitored, and technology keeps our houses safe when we’re at work.
The Internet of things will continue to spread between now and 2026, until human and machine connectivity becomes ubiquitous and unavoidably present, according to experts who participated in what Pew described as a “nonscientific canvassing.”
About 1,200 participants were asked: “As automobiles, medical devices, smart TVs, manufacturing equipment and other tools and infrastructure are networked, is it likely that attacks, hacks or ransomware concerns in the next decade will cause significant numbers of people to decide to disconnect, or will the trend toward greater connectivity of objects and people continue unabated.
Survey Highlights
- Unplugging is futile, and plugging in is unavoidable.
- People crave connection and convenience over all else, and modern-day technology serves this well.
- The Internet of things might become safer over time.