Innovation Nation

Innovation is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as making changes in something established, especially by introducing new methods, ideas or products. This word’s meaning has evolved throughout time, in particular within the past few decades due to the plethora of technological advancements visible in our society. Innovation often now is thought of in tangible terms, such as the new iPhones and gadgets released on an almost daily basis. We are moving and changing at such an alarming pace that it is often difficult to keep up with the constant flow of new ideas. The word innovation has a connotation of renewal and taking something weathered and transforming it into something fresh and useful. While innovation is unbelievably crucial to the success of  any group of people, it can be detrimental at times. Successful innovations occur when individuals keep an open mind and approach conflicts from an objective standpoint, with their main goal being to create a better solution than the preexisting ones. A current cultural example of this would perhaps be that of medicinal innovations; the treatments and cures found in the healthcare field are more impressive now than ever before. However, detrimental innovation may occur in the same arena if a company were to focus too much on the economic profits of a drug, corners may be cut in releasing it and it could have astoundingly negative and unintended health affects, and end up getting recalled.

            This is often the most common negative outcome of innovation in the sense of cultural advancements. These tangible advancements are not the only significant aspects of innovation though; innovative ideas can be ground breaking if acted upon correctly. One may view an iconic period such as the civil rights movement as a historical beacon of innovation. In the particular text in which it was featured, the word innovation was referring to the innovation of the family, and how its connotation and what it entails had evolved. This idea of evolving meaning is exactly what innovation entails; the word innovation is arguably one that could summarize the United States, or the world in general at this particular moment in time. It can be said that the purpose of our entire existence is this idea of changing, molding and shaping our ideas, actions, and thoughts to fit within the parameters of current cultural context. It then poses countless questions having to do with what changes that we are making are particularly beneficial to humanity, and which are harming us as a whole? How much change is too much and what consequences do these changes arouse? While constantly innovating our ideas and motives is crucial to success, it is also inarguably crucial to stop and contemplate the implications of what we are doing, and how these actions affect the culture we are creating.