What Is The Role of Technology In Our Daily Life?
Simply put, I think it has to do with convenience, productivity, and infinite possibilities.
We take technological advancement for granted. Think about long-distance communication. Today, through the use of our smartphones, we get to connect with our family and friends through a push of the button. And that is not just the phone application. The birth of multiple smartphone applications means we have a choice in communication types.
We can use social media as a form of indirect communication when it comes to knowing how our close ones are doing. Zoom and what’s app call features become hot spots for visual and audio communication during times of prevalent movement control in 2020.
We don’t really think too much about how we have arrived. Long-distance communication in the early part of the last century was about yelling at our neighbors. I think that is about it.
Today, technology connects. It transcends beyond the physical boundaries of geography and time. That means convenience at our fingertips.
We can now keep in constant contact with our relatives overseas without actually traveling there. We can get closer, more frequently, and at the fraction of travel costs.
How about productivity?
We can do more within the same about of time. How many sacks of rice can we stack in the warehouse? With a forklift, it is a one-time effort.
How long does it take to disseminate Thought Leadership articles? Paper brochures, books take time to print, distribute, and reach the end-consumer. With websites and social media, we can reach millions at the speed of light.
That is not to mention that technology has enabled us to go further than ever before. Where horses could go, automobiles go further and faster. Where automobiles could move further due to water bodies, ships bring us to the unexplored contingents we have never been.
While planes are the ultimate aviation engines of the last century, now we are looking at exploring and possibly colonizing the nearest galactic neighbor.
We deserve a pat on the back. We have truly come far from those days where our ancestors decided to venture out of the African savanna.
That is a recount of the past. Maybe we should also postulate the near-future.
Mass-technology applications will continue to go mainstream. 2020 has taught us that education and entertainment are still possible when we are stuck in the physical boundaries of our homes.
Home-based learning would not have been possible without easy-to-adopt technologies, and movie watching would not have been possible when cinemas are shut.
Zoom and Netflix will continue to do what they will, and we will start to get used to their presence at home.
In terms of the bigger picture, consumer retail will not go away. However, there is an industry level shakeup that is happening. In fact, I will go as far as to say that an invisible wealth transfer has happened, and the result is anyone’s guess.
Customer experience will continue to be enhanced as e-commence giants aggressively pursue a “1-click” strategy. The race for frictionless customer experience is on.
Brick and mortar stores are fighting back with a stronger in-store experience. How about a cup of coffee while we read? We cannot do that with Amazon, can we?
In this case, technology becomes a point of competition between the physical and the digital. When we take a high-level perspective, I think we can agree that the ultimate winners are the consumers.
And probably one point that I will love? I can finally earn the right to be lazy. Going back for grocery shopping is a chore, if I may say so. Lugging home bags of household items don’t excite me.
Today, these items are delivered straight to my doorstep as I continue to work in my study. What does that mean? It means when I finally get out of the house, I go out for leisure and without physical stress.
Maybe one day I wouldn’t even have to deal with annoying delivery guys who have to deliver in the rain. Drones might be dispatched for service.
As it is already happening in the United States, it wouldn’t just stay there. The time will come for wide adoption by multiple countries.
How would that World look like?
It would be beautiful to some and disastrous to others.
And as I look through the lens of human ingenuity and creativity, I would not bet against the tide of ever-improving technological advancements. We have always found a way to get things done better and faster.
The way I see it? We are earning our right to be lazy.
Though technology, maybe, we can.
Love it or hate it, it will continue to evolve.
Aldric
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