Big Data is changing the game across almost every industry and continent! Game changers impact multiple areas of life in dynamic ways.
So what is new about Big Data?
We have heard about Big Data in companies for years. That phenomenon continues to expand and create benefits, concerns, and problems to solve. What is apparent is how Big Data is a factor for the individual and at a personal level. Just think about stories in 2017 recounting data being gathered on individuals using devices such as Echo, HomePod, and Google Home.
How are individuals participating?
Whether you are embracing it, ignoring it, or resisting it, data is still changing all of our lives. Facebook and our mobile devices might make us happy with connecting us to people, places, and opportunities that we would otherwise miss. They’re also using every interaction on their platform to predict what we will buy, what we want to hear about, and where we want to go. And this practice does not discriminate, it includes late adopters and Baby Boomers!
Our views of privacy and what we are willing to share about ourselves is evolving. This change in human behavior will enable transformations in some exciting ways. One area that promises valuable benefits is in healthcare. Wearable and ingestible devices are gathering real-world data that can help us understand treatments of disease in dramatic new ways. They can also help us understand how to anticipate what we need to do to change behaviors and to stay healthy.
The trend is picking up speed
Digitization and the advancements in technology and connectivity are fueling the growth of data. The number of internet users worldwide is fast approaching 4 billion; active internet users globally in August 2017 registered 3.8 billion. You can see these statistics and watch a real-time counter of new users.
- In 2005, the first billion mark of users was met.
- In 2010, it was the second billion.
- In 2014, the third billion was reached.
Each user is adding to the growing mass of data and analytics being generated each day.
