The era of open access education

Knowledge is power, but we have hit a wall regarding access to knowledge.

It's accessible anywhere you have an internet connection, not to mention a public library card. The world and everything we know about it are almost free. In saying this, jobs that require gatekeeping knowledge will become a thing of the past.

Where do we go from here when it comes to education then?

We go inwards and outwards at the same time.

External experiences and internal understanding, like physiology, will be the next endeavours. Connection with others and a place to belong, as more and more of our third places are being removed (Third places are public areas where people can hang out and meet, like parks and recreational areas that are free to the public).

I'm scared to say it, but with the world in the state it is in, spiritual enlightenment will be on the cards as well.

With knowledge being free, the need to pay for an education will become a thing of the past.

There will still be people who hold onto these institutions for ego and romantic reasons. I never ask a doctor where they went to college; I ask them how many surgeries they have done or how long they have been practising. I don't ask to see a photographer's college degree; I look at their portfolio of work.

This is why when we read books that are non-fiction, we judge them on their academic research that backs up their opinions and hypotheses. Where is the research, the study to back up this claim? This idea that knowledge is power is still true. The difference is now everyone can choose to become powerful in whatever field of experience they wish to study or practice in.

Knowledge is power, but at the same time, money and time are as well.

Without time, you cannot study, and without money, you cannot dedicate time to study. It's a triangle of compromise for most of us. I have time and access to knowledge, but I have no money. Fear trade-off, I think.

Because of this shift in access to understanding, institutions are losing their pull. Their intent is to go to a place and get out a student loan. The millennials dedicated themselves to these institutions and put their futures into debt. And all this without a guarantee of a job. Millennials are the most educated generation in history; at the same time, they are also the poorest. This isn't entirely because of university fees.

The educated part included access to the Internet.

The next generation after us will become the most educated generation in history, and also because of the mistakes the millennials made, they will know not to go into debt to obtain an education. We are getting smarter and seeing through the purple veil into the empty promises educational institutions promise us.

They have become a business instead of a school for the public.

I also believe since education and knowledge will become almost free, the most valuable commodity we will have is time. Money is just a promise of trade, education is the sharing of knowledge. And time, which is finite, is always taken away by entropy.

Knowledge is power, but time, time is all we truly have in this world. And we don't know how long we are here for. How we spend our time, be it for the exchange of currency or to understand the world around us, is up to us. I find enjoyment in the passing of time when I'm learning and exploring internal thoughts and ideas.

Hell, I might study psychology; I'm sure I can find a free course somewhere on the internet, and if not, I'll just apply for a library card.