You should always be interested in what you are doing and think about how you can use it to better the world. But you also have to think: Is it going to pay me

You should always be interested in what you are doing and think about how you can use it to better the world. But you also have to think: Is it going to pay me enough to live my life? I'm not sure what kind of programs you use or if you use any programming, though I encourage you to learn the programming languages that are most used in your field, which I believe is R. I have met some scientists and researchers in my travels who use the R programming language who are making great money and love what they do. As it stands right now, the yearly salary is over $100,000 a year. Not to say that money is the most important thing in the world, as you should really find something you love to do and enjoy doing it, as well as hopefully contribute something positive to the world. Once you acquire that PhD, you have, in a way, developed this sense of commanding respect no matter what company you work for. More education? You can never go wrong! I've only got a bachelors psychology degree yet work in the field of web design. Can't say it lacks psychology... from the fonts, the font size, and the colors and placement of everything. We do tend to strategically place things on those pages in certain areas that are more prominent to the eye and make people want to buy. For my professional work, I build landing pages for companies and to sum it up: It is basically the media and advertising industry that I work in. Do I feel like it helps anyone? It helps the consumer world, and businesses, the economy, and drives business engagement to companies so the world can continue to function the way it does. Do I feel it helps anyone personally? I make a living doing it.. so definitely me. But mostly companies and the consumer world. As for the side projects I work on, I tend to focus on two things: the individual and small business. I do actually feel that my side projects help to make the world a better place, at least, to help people in their everyday lives. You have to be creative. You have been alive long enough to know that every year, jobs disappear, just as new ones are created every year. Jobs that existed when you were younger don't exist, yet tons more that no one would have ever imagined would ever exist do actually exist today and still many more that have yet to be thought of or dreamed of (Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality will soon possibly created hundreds of thousands more jobs)-- imagine surgeons-in-training using that technology to practice on virtual patients). Find your place in the world and if your job doesn't exist, imagine it, create it. If it already exists, well then, utilize it! My suggestion is to gain experience in the work world, work for a company for a year or so, and if you like it, keep doing what you're doing, and during that time, if you don't like it, think of something you can do to create your own job and meaningful purpose in this world. You sound like a very intelligent individual who already knows what you have to do. You just have to acquire and apply the knowledge and research to do it! Good luck :)