The Before and After Of Popular Downsized Technology

The bigger an object the better it must be. This was for the longest time the idea most people held on to. However, time has made it clear that you can downsize anything with astounding results. From devices and gadgets to cars and even information, our world has made a rapid shift from being enamored with the big to being obsessed with tinier versions of the very same things.

The power of shrinkage has taken root so deeply that it has pitted proponents for downsizing and those for right-sizing against each other. Millennials are besotted with the smaller neater versions of what their parents had.

For example, the dream and need to own a home are still inherently there for most young people but they would rather choose tiny houses over the home in the suburb that reminds them of their upbringing. While this obsession with tiny may be a phase that will fade with time, the repercussions should it become a constant state of affairs will be felt in a range of industries and will also change the landscape of economic growth from real estate to manufacturing.

Downsized Technology is Everywhere

Examples abound of the wonders smaller devices and gadgets or even machines encompass. For instance, a smaller plane like Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner is preferred by airline companies worldwide over its sister plane the larger Boeing airbus A380. The Dreamliner is more fuel efficient and nimble. It makes sense for airlines to favor these more nimble airplanes for shorter, point to point trips.

The same reasoning is applied in the case of smaller engines in cars. Car connoisseurs know that the engine size affects performance. A smaller engine packed with more power and efficiency specs can outdo a big engine in no time at all. Add to that the fact that the modern, smaller engine are fitted with smart technology that allows it to consumes less fuel while outperforming the gas guzzling bigger engine, the smaller version wins in popularity.

The current trend when it comes to car engines is to downsize and reduce the number of cylinders or their capacity and then make up for this cut by incorporating a turbocharger into the engine to inject the power back into it. Leading car manufacturers like Ford and Volkswagen have managed to produce such models including cars that use a 1.0 liter 3 cylinder engine which conserves fuel while still remaining powerful.

The ‘Smaller is better Technology’ application in Schools

So successful is the concept of smaller is better that it is being applied to schools. Two researchers from Ohio University and Appalachia Educational Laboratory and Marshall University carried out a study to find out the effects of creating smaller school settings to the learning capabilities and achievements of students.

Their findings were that children from poor backgrounds did better in smaller schools and had fewer incidences of violence and indiscipline and more parent-teacher interactions and student confidence. According to the pair, Craig Howley, and Robert Bickel, their research across several states in the United States revealed that larger school set-ups did not have a conducive environment for children from disadvantaged backgrounds to achieve top performance.

Proof that the trend of ‘small is better’ continues to rise is the in the fact that nearly all industries have toed the line of making smaller more powerful versions of their products. Not even the drones have been spared. In fact, nano drones are now a big addition to the world of droning and they make great toys for children and adults alike. They still have all the specs of a normal sized drone but with the advantage of greater portability and better space consumption.