5 Reasons Why Big Data Keeps Getting Bigger
We live in a society where almost everyone has access to the internet. We breathe in a world where anybody who does not use the internet is considered an alien. As more internet users connect online everyday, overall data keeps getting bigger and it certainly isn’t stopping at all. To brief you on why data keeps getting bigger, it’s because the internet has reached a population level like never before. Let’s see why big data keeps getting bigger.
- More Users Mean More Data Consumption
It’s very simple: much like how humans consume daily resources from the planet, so do internet users consume data. Americans alone consume 4.4 million GB of data every minute. But does data have limited supplies just like Earth’s natural resources? It does not, however overall internet speed becomes slower as more people consume data. To combat this, programmers and even engineers are devising plans to make data broader to reach internet speeds like never before.
- Internet Services
YouTube, Twitch, Netflix, Hulu, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Amazon, Alibaba – these are the best examples of internet services. They serve you value whether it’s entertainment or consumption. In exchange for value and money, they also provide data – processed and transferred to your device in order to run properly and sufficiently.
As millions of users tune in everyday to these services, the websites need to maintain the population by providing a large amount of data. Because if they don’t, their services would crash.
Take, for example, an empty glass pitcher. It represents data storage. Now, pour in water; the water represents the users and their data build-up. Pour too much and the water will overflow, leading to some catastrophic spillage. Much like in services, they need to have a large container enough so the container does not get filled up too much and cause a mess.
- Better Service Demand More Data
Streaming in 4K at 60 fps, playing online games without lag, seamless online shopping; these top-quality services require lots of data. In exchange, users need to consume a lot of data in order to get the best quality. No wonder watching Netflix at 1080p eats up so much mobile data. It’s no surprise that you can only play 8 games of Fortnite before your hotspot data gets depleted. When service involves top-quality visuals, competent experience and consistent execution, always expect a large data consumption.
- Data Rakes in Money
Data also determine how much a user spends time with the service. This is why Google, YouTube and social media earns a lot of money; the millions of data determine how much exposure the website gets. Hence, advertisers and investors want to put their cash onto these websites in exchange for potential customers and revenue. It’s how capitalism works in the digital age.
The same goes for cloud storage services; they let you store your data digitally but for a fair price. The more storage you need to keep your data, the bigger the price. This also applies to phone carrier and internet service providers: you can either subscribe to plans with an ample amount of data or go unlimited but for a hefty price.
- Data Have No Limits
Unlike natural resources, the sky’s the limit for data. It could be as much as you want, as infinite as it gets. And that is why internet-based companies see this as an opportunity; especially for cloud storage services, mobile services and internet providers. Nobody can stop them from turning data into a money-making machine because data is everywhere. The only time capitalizing on data becomes illegal is when they sell personal data of individuals.
Data Will Not Stop Growing
Every year, data storage and consumption become faster and more convenient in speeds unlike never before. With 5G coming to the masses soon, data growth will expand in very unimaginable numbers ever since the birth of the internet 50 years ago.