If I had to guess what you found under the tree this year, I would say a tablet, a smartphone or other electronic device, and I probably have no chance to be wrong. Technology dominates our daily lives, it's a fact. And this phenomenon will continue to grow in the years to come, both in our private and professional lives. And for our young people, is the world of technology wonderful?
Today, even televisions or household robots have become real computers. Which is not always easy for the older of us. Fortunately, we can count on our children or grandchildren to help us. A study by Agoria and iVox reveals that 70% of young people help their parents to tame these new technologies. A recent and major change in the parent-child relationship: Not so long ago, it was the elderly who passed on their knowledge to the youngest. But these "digital natives", if they are more than 80% to say that new technologies play a vital role in their lives, admit also feed some fears about technological developments, especially with regard to their impact on employment.
In this study, we learn that two-thirds of young people feel that people are communicating less since the advent of new technologies. Of the older respondents, they are even eight in ten to think so. What should we think ? For my part, I am convinced of the opposite. People have the feeling of less communicating than before, but in reality, the Internet and social networks allow us to keep in touch with a lot of people. Sometimes even with people we would have totally lost sight of otherwise. And these young people who have their eyes and their fingers constantly riveted on their smartphone, what do I think? Well, I understand that they do not like their parents, but to say that they do not communicate is inaccurate: they only do that! Only, they do not do it as before, and probably not as their parents would like them to do it.
Young people expect a lot of new technologies as solutions to major societal problems. And at the same time, more than four out of ten young people say they are afraid of it, for example with regard to the impact on the job market. New technologies are evolving at such a rate and involve so many changes in our private and professional lives that there is also uncertainty. And that's understandable. These changes are both a source of concern and opportunity. This is information that companies and politicians must take into account. We must seize these opportunities while removing concerns, by defining a number of agreements. People have the feeling that robots will replace some professions in the future. This may be true, in part, but the digitization and automation of our economy is also creating new jobs. Since 2006, the number of ICT professionals has increased from 135,000 to 161,000. In addition, robotization can help improve working conditions. Today, robots perform repetitive or heavy tasks, making the world of work, especially in industry, much more interesting and rewarding.
On the other hand, half of young people are confident in the ability of technologies to solve key societal problems. Pension, health care financing, global warming, respect for privacy, quality of education and sustainability of products are the main challenges of tomorrow. These are all areas in which technology has solutions to offer, and young people are aware of this. I also notice that they do not have the same vision of the professional future as their parents. There is envy and commitment in them. Our young people, the "Generation Z", want their professional career to have a meaning, a social utility. It's not just about making money or securing a steady job, but also about finding solutions to societal problems. On this point, technology makes many things possible. This explains why young people are also very critical of new technologies that offer no added value for society.But are these solutions developed in our country? When asked which countries, according to them, are at the forefront of technological developments, young people are primarily in the United States (41.3%). Next come China (26.4%) and Japan (21.5%). Our country is far behind at 2.1%. The mention "Made in China" affixed to the products is certainly not unrelated to this misperception. More than half of the young people surveyed believe that most technological innovations are developed abroad. But it is precisely the opposite. Belgian technology companies are making a difference on the international scene thanks to their capacity for innovation. Many Belgian and international companies carry out important research activities in our country. A series of SMEs in Belgium are even world leaders in their field. And it happens that it leads to production at home. It is unfortunate that so few young people know it: this could guide their choice of studies, for example.
But I am optimistic. We are coming out of a period where trades related to technology have not always been highly valued. I think that in recent years, the steam is being reversed: companies, but also public authorities and parents, are aware that people with a good technological background are likely to have a career exciting and useful to society.
Finally, technologies have not only changed the nature of jobs, but also the organization of the labor market. The young people are perfectly aware of it. Only 21% are worried about the arrival of new business models like Uber or Airbnb on the job market. While nearly 50% of young people expect to work their entire career as employees, they are still 37% want to start as freelancers. On the side of seniors, they are only 18%. On this level also, we observe a change of mentality among the younger generation. One-third of the young people in our survey say they want to start, which is a very high proportion for our country. It is very encouraging that so many young people want and feel ready to undertake. It is also one of the impacts of technology: it allows you to start your own business with a relatively small capital. Today, everyone can consider embarking on the adventure.
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