Ever since the industrial revolution technology has had a major influence on the life of the blue-collar worker. Today, as forecasters predict a social storm brewing under the metal-grey clouds of technological advances, advances which in some instances steal the jobs from the same working class whose lives they once improved, it’s important to consider which working sectors (outside of the tech bubble) are still reaping the everyday benefits of applied technology, and which are suffering from it.
Here is a list of 5 industries, which have historically benefited from technological advances.
- Pharmacology
Undoubtedly one of the major beneficiaries of technology, the practice of pharmacology seems to improve each time our understanding of science does. The nuance with which we can now treat a wide array of disorders can be credited, by and large, to our improved ability to handle and manipulate viruses and diseases safely (often even remotely).
A secondary, but nonetheless significant improvement that technology has provided pharmacologists far and wide: the automation of the dispensing process. Using robotics to streamlining pill dispensing, a process that can be tedious and time consuming, saves time and can help ensure that people receive life saving medications as quickly as possible.
- Freelancing
From writing to photographing, consulting to marketing, there never was a better time to work in the freelance industry. Just 30 years ago, finding access to the limited gigs offered in any given field was harder than graduating med school.
Now, thanks to super high-speed Internet, increase social media awareness, and the popularity of accessing knowledge digitally, the freelance market is anybody’s game, a true wild west for those willing to work hard enough.
- Education
While some teachers might argue that their job has become marginalized over the past decade, and their responsibility as educators comes at an ever-greater personal cost, few would assert that technology hasn’t dramatically improved their (and by proxy their student’s) access to vital educational resources, information, and even funds.
With popular projects like Go-Fund-Me helping teachers everywhere reach out for financial help, and video conferencing creating a new age of international pen pals, education has benefited more than most from leaps forward in tech.
- Transportation
From toll booth operators who benefit from the development of fast pass technology, to taxi drivers whose bottom line is guaranteed by cameras and credit card payment systems, from the safety net of an airline’s black box, to the health benefits of electric or hybrid municipal transport, this sector has seen innumerable benefits, without the corresponding losses. That’s basically because, until this year, no one had developed safe and reliable transportation that could drive itself.
Whether the advent of the self-driving car will lead the way to self driven planes, trains, and busses, has yet to be seen, but so far we know one thing for certain, their presence will make driving infinitely safer for those who are still manually operating vehicles for pay.