Life-changing technology
The Internet was created less than thirty years ago, but the technology landscape has evolved at break neck speed ever since. How does technology impact consumers’ lives and expectations?
Early beginnings
Back in 1989, when he invented the World Wide Web, little did Tim Berners-Lee envisage that jump to 2017, and Elon Musk would be actively working on integrating the human brain with artificial intelligence to enable humans to improve themselves.
Cut back to the early 1990s; mobile phones were the size of bricks, dial up Internet had just launched, email was fresh on the scene and Microsoft Office was positively futuristic. Since humans aspire to better themselves, and crave connection and efficiency, fairly swiftly these products and services became mainstream. People realized that they loved the convenience and ability to achieve more, even quicker than before. Whilst most people initially questioned their usefulness, computers and mobile phones rapidly became embedded in people’s everyday lives.
As component and battery technology became smaller and more efficient, so did the devices themselves, which made stationary technology a thing of the past. Portability became the name of the game, perfectly suited to evolving societies, where people tended to increasingly be ‘on the go’.
Always connected
The next big leap forward, in 2007, was the arrival of smart phones, enabling Internet access at your fingertips whenever you needed it. As Wi-Fi, 3G and 4G coverage also improved, an ‘always on’ culture started to firmly establish itself.
Currently, in a global Pew Research Center survey, a median of 43% says they own a smartphone. An additional 45% says they have a cell phone that is not a smartphone. Only 12% says they do not own a cell phone of any kind.
The newest game changer in 2010 was the iPad. Tablet ownership has now edged up to 45% among U.S. adults, which has had a knock-on impact on desktops; especially a decrease in ownership amongst millennials, according to a 2015 Pew Research Center study on technology device ownership.
With such prevalence, unsurprisingly, dependence on devices is growing. Today, more than half of Brits prefer to do a task digitally if they can. And half reach for their smartphone first thing in the morning. Increasingly, we’re using apps to do more too. According to Flurry Analytics’ State of Mobile report, U.K. app usage has grown 28% in the past year. The two biggest spikes were for messaging and social apps (up 46%) and utilities and productivity apps (up 45%).
Consumers are also watching more video on their devices. As of February 2017, more than 400 hours of content are uploaded to YouTube each minute, and one billion hours of content is watched on YouTube every day.
So what’s next?
In essence, technology is now being used to do anything and everything someone doesn’t want to do.
In future, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon believes that “customers will expect to save time and enjoy the experience while saving money.”
In an interview on weforum.org (January 2017), he says: “They’ll want to fulfil their everyday needs in the easiest way possible through a combination of stores, e-commerce, pick-up and delivery, and supported by artificial intelligence. Customer desires – think emerging fashion, fresh produce, and items they’ve never seen before – will still be fun to explore in stores as well as with technology such as VR. So, retailers that provide a truly unique, enjoyable experience and prepare their staff to provide excellent service will have the advantage.”
We’re already seeing robot assistants enter homes, hotels and shops. Drone deliveries are also trialling. More recent innovations, such as Amazon Echo and Google Home, are starting to make the Internet of Things an everyday reality too. From smart lighting and heating, to fridges and TVs; robots can play with your kids, help you with household chores, handle your schedule and keep your home connected and safe. Alongside Alexa and Siri, they’re set to become a part of families around the world as they help us organize our busy lives.
So from a product perspective, those that automate a person’s decision making and/or fulfil a task more efficiently, and those that enhance their lives, will continue to be welcomed.