Life
Why in the Age of Super Fans and Mega Influencers, I Am Raising My Child to Become a Doctor
High tech is important but perseverance is what will save humanity
Earlier this week, I woke up, turned on the television (yes, I still watch the news on TV and not via a feed), and learned about the Pandora Papers. Throughout my life (and quite a life it has been), I have watched countless papers being leaked to the public, starting with WikiLeaks.
The current stream of papers such as Pandora and Panama informed the public of the secret lives of the rich and powerful. The lengths of their wealth on full display detailing their wheeling and dealings as if to mock us mere mortals. Today was no different, the Pandora Papers is a follow up to the Panama Papers, WikiLeaks, and many others which have been shared by whistleblowers throughout recent history since the internet became part of our daily lives.
The news anchor announced that the Pandora Papers were leaked to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) which is a global network comprising of international journalists and media organizations working together to investigate the most important stories in the world and our lifetime. This was the first time I’ve heard of them. Prior to the Pandora Papers and the ICIJ being put front and center, I had always thought that each news organization investigated stories independently.
For the first time in my life, I began to think, what would happen if there were no investigative journalists in the world? How would ordinary people get the information needed to know what is going on in the world? Who would expose what is lurking in the shadows and hidden deep in the depths of mountains of paperwork?
Watching the representative of ICIJ explaining to the news anchor that the story had been worked on for two years, made me pause and think. A group of journalists, spanning the globe, spent the last two years investigating what was in those papers. In the midst of a global pandemic, these investigative reporters held true and pursued what they set out to do. There was no fame and glory in this, it was just good old fashion journalism.
The rise of social media and tech lulled many of us away from reality for a minute. Many parents, including myself, pivoted and thought that with the rise of AI, traditional professions such as journalists, doctors, lawyers, and accountants were no longer needed and will soon be replaced by robots. After all, before the pandemic, the trend in education and society was the need for children to learn to code to prepare for the future. In addition, tech companies such as Google shared with the world that to work for them, traditional university degrees are no longer needed and people can opt to do a Google certification instead.
While listening to the representative of ICIJ being interviewed, it occurred to me that spending two years investigating a story takes tremendous patience. The type that can only be forged by having read countless journals in the library, painstakingly looking for books and pages, and perhaps even falling asleep while researching more than once. This type of patience cannot be had in today’s instant gratification world, filled with Insta likes and ten-second videos.
Many parents, including myself, pivoted and thought that with the rise of AI, traditional professions such as journalists, doctors, lawyers, and accountants were no longer needed and will soon be replaced by robots.
If you searched for future jobs online a few years ago, the search result was filled with a plethora of tech jobs. Tech was king. And they knew it. However, since the rise of COVID, the trends have shifted. In the next five years, high demand will be in the traditional sectors such as healthcare workers, manual labor, and finance.
The recent global supply chain crisis, which is dominated by the lack of fuel in the UK due to a shortage of HGV drivers, shows just how much the world still needs traditional workers. Furthermore, there are approximately 1,7 million unknown viruses in the world, any of them could easily be deadlier and more contagious than COVID. Scientists and healthcare workers will be vital, more than ever.
As intelligent as the AIs, apps, and robots which we invent, they will never be able to replace human empathy or professions which require empathy and generosity. Robots, techs, and apps will always lack one thing which has been showcased countless times in Star Trek, Star Wars, and even iRobot. They will never have a human heart, nor a human spirit. And that makes all the difference.
Too much emphasis is being given to the glamour of making a living through social media, to the point that nearly every single person now wants to have 15 minutes of fame.
Traditional professions might not be hip or trendy, but they are vital in ensuring humanity’s survival. Let’s think about where humanity is heading without police officers, psychiatrists, health care workers, and even truck drivers. If every single human on the planet is a “content creator” and does nothing but review products and give advice on the best items to buy at Costco, how will the world function?
As a mother with a child currently doing home-based learning, tech is part of our daily life. However, I remind my child that so many people in the world are hurting, mother nature is dying and I educate her on why being a doctor will not only save lives but will help create a better tomorrow.
Traditional professions might not be hip or trendy, but they are vital in ensuring humanity’s survival
The biggest impact created in the world, which determines the direction the world is heading to is in traditional professions. In the middle of this pandemic, scientists are the ones saving the entire human race by discovering vaccines in record time. We can sleep soundly at night due to law enforcement keeping watch while we are in deep sleep.
And the most vital traditional occupation of all, since the beginning of time, teachers. Where would we be today without our teachers? Kindergarten, middle school, high school, and university. At some point, many of us have been deeply impacted by that one teacher who believed in us. And inspired us to be the person we are today.
The world is advancing and yes tech is playing a big part, but we need to remember that to make the most impact and leave a lasting legacy for our seventh generation, we are first and foremost humans.
