Age in the Digital Age

And the world turned digital overnight. Well, almost overnight.

Scary thought to all those who so far have been wanting to believe that the digital revolution didn't concern them, that they had the privilege to choosing to carry on without, and assumed that by looking the other way it would miraculously go away and disappear. Fortunately people are finally back from their safe cloud nine trips, and rolling the sleeves time has already come.

 
With a bird's eye view to what's happening in our societies today, we see one thing very clear. Chaos.
The masses are moving from denial to the adoption phase. They finally get it. Ignore digital at your own peril no more.

Obviously super fast changes in social media networks and digital marketing technology have their fair share in multiplying this sense of urgency and aggravating feelings of insecurity.
All of a sudden the market is flooded with zillions of subject matter content. People from all walks of life are rushing to put their hands on anything that will save them from the abyss of digital ignorance. Bookstores are inundated with field expert and wannabe expert publications. Universities, colleges, schools, community centers, all pulling their resources to meet demand outburst.

Out of all this psychedelic chaos, one segment seems to stand out completely indifferent. Kids.
For the new generation digital is second nature. It's part of the world they are born in. As opposed to those playing catch up, digital is actually all they know. It is their comfort zone.
For the first time in history, this fantastic phenomenon called digital has rendered the notion of age completely irrelevant.

Unlike earlier revolutions, such as the industrial revolution where youngsters did not need to adopt to change, today, parents go to their eight year old kids for answers to their digital queries; fresh interns teach their bosses how to take a business online; gifted teens give public lectures about how to use social marketing for personal and commercial purposes; and as a natural progression, we see this also reflected in the new breed of very young tech engineers and entrepreneurs as never before.

I'm not a trained child psychologist, but I would assume that this new reality is creating unprecedented levels of strain for kids. Afterall, they're just kids, and wouldn't want to be overwhelmed with stuff their elders are supposed to know in the first place.
Perhaps a little noticed attribute of the digital age is that it is making our kids grow lot faster too soon. Looking at the glass half full, as societies fully adopt digital and learn how to cohabitate, social norms will restore their balance eventually and so will age related behavioral norms. Until then, and for the sake of everyone, all I can do is hope for a quick digital adoption, I really do.

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Long Live Venezuela!

Collectively comprising over 50% of the global nominal GDP, people living in the G8 countries, or in the eight wealthiest countries in the world, are considered to be privileged by many. Not so fast.
Being a G8 resident has its perks for sure, except perhaps when it comes to filling up our gas tanks.

According to Bloomberg's latest 2013 Gas Price Ranking report, Canadians pay an average $4.76/gal at the pump, whereas our Southern neighbors pay $3.29/gal. These numbers look pretty encouraging when benchmarked against our European G8 counterparts like Germany, France and the UK, where the gallon hovers in the $8 to $9 range.

Meet Venezuela. In this paradise of a nation, blessed consumers pay only $0.06/gal at the pumps! That is no typo I assure you, and those are not 1960 prices.

But to compare apples to apples we must put these numbers in perspective many would argue. We certainly must. Here's some basic numbers to help measure the apples. Venezuelians earn an average daily income of $31 and the share of a day's wage needed to buy a gallon of gas is 0.2%. Compare that to 3.3% for Canadians and 2.4% for Americans.
To make things even worse, with 2.45 Million barrels per day, Venezuela is only the 13th largest oil producer in the world, whereas Canada and the US are the 6th and the 3rd largest respectively.
In a nutshell, Venezuela produces and exports less oil, but subsidizes much more, without having to compromise other social programs.

I love Canada. I really do. But imagine how the quality of our lives would have improved if instead of waiting at the bus stop under the freezing cold, we didn't have to worry about owning a vehicle and running it to work every day; if instead of seeing grim faces at the gas pump everyday, everyone was smiling and greeting each other happily; if instead of taking long, calculated trips once every few months, we explored more of our beautiful country more often; and instead of budgeting for gas expenses every month, we spent the saved portion on things that built satisfaction while still contributing to the national economy.

Until we see that glorious day, it would be worthwhile to enjoy the perks of a G8 citizen by visiting Venezuela more often instead. The experience of filling up a tanker for half a loonie sounds so very priceless afterall!

Got a scorching business idea? - NOW - Concordia University

Got a scorching business idea? - NOW - Concordia University