How Innovation Affects Society

What exactly is innovation? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, it is “the introduction of something new” and “a new idea, method, or device”. However, I believe that innovation is something more. It’s something that improves and adds to society, something constantly changing and adapting, and something that blends creativity with intellect. Furthermore, innovation is not something unattainable, applicable only to a specific field of study or a specific group of people. There are various types of innovation- technological, societal, environmental, biomedical, etc.- and since innovation is fairly abstract, there are endless ways to innovate. A common thread in all of the various innovative advancements is that they all contribute to society. Technological innovations make society more convenient; take, for instance, the iPhone- a common example of the power of innovation and how it can change our world. Before the iPhone, cellular phones were simply to call and text, with very few phones having more functionality than that. However, with the invention of the iPhone phones became much more than that, as with a touchscreen they unlocked the potential for the internet, maps, games, social media, and many other options. Societal innovations make the world itself more accessible and utilizable for all. More affordable housing is one of these societal growths, because it combines new building methods and materials with forward thinking in order to bring housing to people who may not have the resources to afford regular housing. Environmental innovations make the world more sustainable, allowing for future people to have a cleaner world. These developments, like more sustainable energy sources and cleaner manufacturing, are helping to combat climate change and will continue to do so as more innovation comes. Biomedical innovation help our society to be healthier. With research into new medicines and new approaches to combat illnesses and diseases, formerly imaginary ideas of sci-fi healing products and extremely long lives are now possible. In general, though, innovation spurs our society to progress, and this is why I am focusing on studying and promoting innovation; without it, we wouldn’t truly experience change.