The world is connected in a way that we never imagined. In previous times, if you wanted to get a message to another person across the country, it could take months. You would have to send a telegram or letter by way of the mail carrier. Traditional mail delivery methods were much slower and speed was often unheard of. The advancement of technology combined with efficiency has significantly increased social connectivity.
Social connectivity for relationships
This new level of social connection has had a huge impact on developing and maintaining social relationships. Families that lived in different areas of the country had very little contact previously. In order to notify a family of events and updated news, the news had to be shared many months in advance. Today, families can easily connect with other family members over the phone, text, or on the internet. Social media has especially contributed to this. In 2018, it is estimated that there will be 2.67 billion social media users worldwide, up from 2.34 billion in 2016. Families can stay in touch with those even on the other side of the world, within seconds. Romantic relationships can even succeed when the partners are on opposite sides of the world.
Social connectivity for businesses
This new level of connection has also increased success for businesses. Businesses were once limited to the direct customer base around their place of business. Today, however, they can expand their product or services to those around the world with internet shopping. Delivery methods have even expanded due to this increase in online business success and products can be shipped within days. Businesses can even utilize these connectivity resources to improve local business. Using things like geotagging documents and identity resolution, businesses can keep in touch with local customers. They can utilize mobile applications and programs for the semantic entity and better target marketing efforts, based on a customer?s specific location. Geotagging documents even allow businesses to use entity extraction, knowing when their customers are in close proximity to their place of business.
Social connectivity for safety
Although the world?s reliance on the internet has contributed more to identity theft and data breaches, the interest has also increased world safety. With everything and everyone connected to the internet, people are easier to track. It is easier than ever to identify red flags and to locate criminals. Text analytics, for example, can support and strengthen border security in three major ways, including identifying dangers near borders and at screening time, to identify potential dangers that need follow up, and to forecast future issues at borders. Although connectivity to other countries is more difficult, it is still possible and has successfully contributed to a safer world.
Social connectivity for technology improvement
People are more connected than ever. Yet, there is still a desire to be even more connected than what we currently are. Researchers and technology experts are constantly working toward additional geotagging documents and internet capabilities. There is hope for even more connectivity improvement. The International Data Corporation (IDC) estimates that less than 1% of data is ever analyzed. Text mining can bridge the gap to the missing 99%. That missing 99% may also be the key to an even greater amount of internet connectivity that we so desire.
The use of geotagging documents, identity resolutions, and semantic entity programs has significantly increased the world?s ability to be connected, via the internet. Although we have reached a technological level of connection that no one ever imagined, there is still room for more. We can only begin to imagine the level of connectivity the world will have after further technological improvements are made.