Are You Connected?
Technology has always caused change but digital technology is causing profound change. Everything we do from banking to baking and from travel to technology is affected by digital. But the best, and perhaps worst, is yet to come.
Digital is everywhere
The smartphone is one of the drivers of the digital revolution, as it puts the influence of technology and the internet into our pocket and, some would argue, into our soul.
Mobile technology has been around for many years but the introduction of the smartphone has brought nothing less than a full-scale onslaught.
Smartphones are changing the habits of the way we live and how we communicate, as access to the internet is now a 365/24/7 never-ending blitz.
The smartphone means we can email, text, phone, buy, sell, pay, book flights or accommodation, photograph, video, film and use the full range of social media: all from wherever we happen to be.
Using smartphones and other connected mobile devices is useful and fun but what gives them real power is the almost infinite amount of information they amass.
The collection, analysis and utilisation of such all-encompassing information is what most changes the world.
Other developments such as cloud computing and social media are making a difference too as they grow in impact and everyday use.
Cloud computing supports the operation and growth of digital technology, as it harnesses the power of remote servers and storage facilities to provide new menus of services.
The internet facilitates the expansion of cloud computing as it provides a platform that enables links between different computer networks at different times for different tasks.
Social media also adds to the digital revolution as it provides insights into people’s behaviours and attitudes and helps understand the decisions they make and habits they form.
Looking to the future
There is no doubt that smartphones and other digital devices will get lighter, smarter, more affordable, more attractive and more mobile in the years ahead.
Their availability and widespread use will grow to the point where there will be more smartphones than people in the world.
A host of features beyond our current understanding will be added to the smart devices we use to gather vast amounts of personal data to make our lives easier albeit less private.
We will wear technology in our clothes and on our body as watches and wristbands; and ultimately technology will meld onto and melt into our bodies, as the miniaturisation of digital devices gathers pace and popularity.
SO, technology has always brought progress and digital technology is no different, although the potential for change may be more far-reaching.
