We have the technology and infrastructure, even in some of the least developed places in the world, to make continuous learning a basic component of society. Through online platforms, we can supplement child education around their in-person schooling, but we can also ensure people of all ages regularly learn new content relevant to the constantly changing economy.

Imagine if every child received phonics and reading instruction leading up to primary school. Imagine if every teenager took financial literacy courses before graduation. Imagine if every adult had access to updated, industry-specific information throughout each year. How much more aware, prepared, and smarter would we be as a global society?

Through e-learning, it’s also possible to build informed, active citizenship. What if we created a remote class on the history of democracy, or an online survey course on different voting mechanisms? Many Americans don’t know much beyond their own two-party system of the Electoral College and plurality voting. Many people around the world have never even been exposed to democracy. What if everyone from Nigeria to Papua New Guinea to Louisiana had access to such courses? How much more invested would we be in an equitable, prosperous future?

The internet isn’t quite there yet in all regions of the world, but we're working on it. Within the foreseeable future, it will be possible for almost all people to reliably get online. Imagine if every human on the planet—regardless of nationality, age, gender, location, language or culture—engaged in learning every day. What if new knowledge became a given? How would our world change? There’s only one way to find out.