However, digital literacy does not equate to becoming coders, computer engineers, or whatnot. No, on the contrary, as we head deeper into the digital frontier, the dichotomy of “right-brain vs. left brain” is dissolving.
Also read: Is Data-Driven Marketing A Threat To Creativity?
What we are looking at right now is a merger of these two schools of thought, a “whole brain” approach. Hard skills will need to be complemented by creativity and vice versa. This is the key to innovation, this is what it will take to remain human in a digital world.
Let’s look at K-pop as an example. Head to Spotify right now. As you go over their top song recommendations, chances are you’ll see 1 or 2 K-pop songs in the mix. Well, did you know that K-Pop’s creation was no fluke? It was a deliberate campaign that needed Korea’s Ministry of Culture to develop their brand of music.
It took sound engineers, programmers, and other innovative minds to create the experience K-pop delivers—from the songs, dances, and the colorful music videos to the holograms and over-the-top auditorium productions.
K-pop is now a multi-billion dollar industry, generating great economic value (expected to bring in 36 Billion USD in the next 10 years) for Korea. This is what you call a creative economy, and this will be the wave of the future.
A creative economy is categorized by the blurring of the lines between economy, culture, technology, and other social aspects. Think of startup culture, think of today’s gaming industry, think of data in advertising, these industries are mergers of art and science. You don’t necessarily have to be “techie” or a coder, innovations from these industries come from creativity—the ability to think of new approaches, new ways of doing things.
Author and business professor Oren Harari once said, “The electric light did not come from the continuous improvement of candles.”