Is it true that we are better privileged than our progenitors? I think we are better informed than them. The world has advanced in knowledge due to the presence of the internet and Artificial Intelligence. This topic reminds me of the time we had a debate at school. The topic was "Science Has Done More Harm Than Good To Mankind". It was such a debate that there was a loud noise as the debaters took turns to tell the audience what their position was on the topic.
Today, our access to knowledge is cheap because the facilities to get the necessary information are at our fingertips.
Another thing that is not too nice with the available information and knowledge is that it makes us pretty lazy. You will notice that researchers do not have to do proper field work to write a project research anymore, all they do is to ask the internet which provides them with available data. This has propagated improper research results in recent times in nearly all fields.
A family friend was discussing with my wife the other day and I heard her say that she will never take her children to any public health facility anymore. She related how a medical doctor had to consult the internet to find the meaning of a medical laboratory result and the drugs that help the patient. It is that bad.
However, cheap access to knowledge or information has been helpful in so many ways.
Learning has become very easy. To learn or develop.a skill does not require you to attend the four walls of a classroom. A video or two from youtube would help savage one's interest. Materials that are needed to develop your new idea are already being researched and the information needed are either done in video, voice or written out. This has in no small measure helped individuals to expand their knowledge.
Easy access to knowledge and information has turned many people to become creative and innovative by exposing people to new ideas. In one of the universities in Northern Nigeria, a student who could no longer afford the school fees dropped out and started to develop a car that runs on solar energy. All he did was to make himself useful by accessing information on the internet and YouTube. Today, companies and nations are beginning to ask him to produce electric vehicles for them. Some even paid in advance such that his dreams have been supported.
It is one way that we could drastically reduce the rate of unemployment in our polity. You know, some folks have spoken about the difference between the rich and the poor, which they said is information. Access to information could make you break the jinx of poverty and become an entrepreneur and also to make informed choices. An informed person does not only escape unemployment he also contributes favourably to the society.
Once we have an idea about a matter, we are able to take precaution from becoming a victim. For instance, a lot of people got to know that most diseases enter the human body through their hands. In 2020, when the covid-19 pandemic was fully blown, we watched on television and heard from radio and all other media how important it is to wash our hands regularly. To keep a healthy lifestyle, it is important that we have the knowledge about what exists in our space.
To be a problem solver for oneself in this time and generation, we need to have knowledge. And fortunately, knowledge is no longer expensive as it was in the days of our ancestors. One does not need to go too far to get a solution to a matter anymore.
Before jumping into conclusion, when we have knowledge about an idea, we escape the possibility of falling into trouble. Hence, access to information or knowledge helps us to evaluate our thought process before enacting it.
However, not everyone has the luxury of seeking these channels of knowledge to get lasting solutions to problems that arise on their path. Many people still think the crude method is the way to go. The percentage of those who seek knowledge through these available means is high. Knowledge is power but anyone who is seeking to be knowledgeable should be mindful of what his or her wisher could be.