DEFINING DATA ANALYTICS AND HOW THEY IMPACT EVERYDAY LIFE
In today’s world where technology is all-encompassing, the variety and sheer volume of data available are enormous, not to mention the tremendous rate at which new data is constantly being generated, adding to the existing stockpile. The speed at which data is utilized and replaced with newer and more current data will only continue to increase in the foreseeable future. Industries must constantly review this data to determine changes that need to be made to their products, services, and processes in order to stay competitive and be successful.
Defining Data Analytics
If information can be measured, then it’s likely that there’s already a colossal archive of compiled data that is accumulating each day. It may be that the data is just there waiting for a person to analyze it and determine new trends. That’s what data analytics is about — to make sense of all sizes of data using a dynamic set of tools. Data analytics can reveal comprehensive information, patterns, and relationships of the topics being studied. Quite simply, it’s drawing conclusions about information after examining raw data.
Data Analytics in Our Daily Lives
You may not even realize it, but you probably use data analytics almost every day. Here are some of the everyday applications of data analytics.
- Social media stats instantly register anytime there’s a visitor or a post to a page.
- Cell phone bills can pull up months of calling data to show you patterns of usage.
- Sensors monitor the changing weather and report that data to you instantly on your smartphone.
- Sports fans collect statistics on their favorite athletes and often use the data to form teams for “fantasy” leagues.
- Schools across the nation are involved in high-stakes testing that generates voluminous data on each student’s progress. Educators then utilize data generated from extensive reports to drive their instruction.
