Our World Is Hyperconnected The world is an increasingly connected place

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We have entered a new world that is increasingly dynamic and hyperconnected. This has massive consequences for us. 

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Connectedness

A radically different future is coming, where the digitalisation of everything leads to a hyperconnected world.

Credit: Tango Matsumoto, CTO and CIO at Fujitsu

In the last 75 years, with the rapid advance of technology, the advent of cheap global transportation, and, more recently, the birth of the Internet and the world wide web, the world has become more connected.

There are several dimensions to this connectedness which include:

• our physical world (transport)
• our cyber-world (Internet)
• our social world (people)
• our organizational world (organizations)
• our personal world (our minds and bodies)

There are vastly more connected parts in our modern-day world, and these components interact more frequently and at an ever-increasing speed.

Ten ways in which today’s world is hyperconnected

Here are ten ways in which the world has become more hyperconnected in the last 75 years:

1. The development of the Internet has dramatically increased the speed and ease of communication and information exchange between people and organizations worldwide.
2. The proliferation of mobile phones has made it possible for people to stay connected virtually anywhere, anytime.
3. The growth of social media has created new platforms for people to connect and share information.
4. The expansion of international trade and investment has increased the interconnectedness of the global economy.
5. Advances in transportation technology, such as air travel and container shipping, have made it easier for people and goods to move around the world.
6. The growth of multinational corporations has increased the interconnectedness of the global business environment.
7. The proliferation of satellite technology has made it possible for people to communicate and access information remotely.
8. The development of the global financial system, with the integration of world markets and the proliferation of new financial instruments, has increased the interconnectedness of the global economy.
9. The growth of international organizations, such as the United Nations, has increased the interconnectedness of global politics and diplomacy.
10. The increasing interconnectedness of global supply chains has made it possible for people and organizations to rely on goods and services worldwide.

The impact of increased connectedness

In the socio-technical domain, where we have become increasingly connected both physically because of improved transportation – think cars and planes and digitally – think smartphones, the Internet, and the world wide web, this increasing connectivity, in particular, the dynamic interactions between people, enabled by technology has given rise to a massive surge in complexity.

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The increased connectedness in the world and the resulting complexity are the root cause of so many of our problems today. 

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Things Todo

• Reflect: Think about how the world’s interconnectivity has increased in your lifetime. Much of this connectedness has been for the good, but what have been the unforeseen consequences?

Resources

• Article: The new business dynamics of a hyperconnected world
• Article: Perspectives on a Hyperconnected World

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Photo Credits: Jonathan Gurteen (CC BY 4.0)