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When we look back at 2020-21, it will be remembered as more than a historical blip. We are witnessing huge shifts in the ways we work and live. The effects are so profound that vaccines and therapies won’t reset society back to pre-COVID “normal.” Therefore, let’s dive deeper into the ways technology is changing behavior. Here are some Technology-Behavior Shifts that are not going away:
1. Social Media is an obvious tech innovation that’s here to stay. That vast, growing social-networks machine — Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, etc. — are providing each of us a platform, and perhaps also creating an information bubble for all of us. We amateur journalists and influencers may not necessarily promote the unvarnished truth. We see and hear our favorite channels, and immerse ourselves in an echo chamber of agreeable opinions and ideas. We split into tribes, filter what we don’t want to hear, and form our own versions of reality through our social media selections. In a sense, we view everything through a social media lens of our own creation.
Social media has many benefits. It offers ways to communicate, enjoy free speech, state opinions, and enjoy fellowship with like-minded souls across the globe. But there is also a darker tendency, starting even before this pandemic age, to become separated and distant from those who don’t share our views. Social media will continue to struggle to distinguish truth from fiction; what to censor, and what is allowed to remain online. Social media giants will continue to metastasize — so it is crucial for each of us to step back and look at what we've created. Do you exist in a kind of self-filtered information bubble, within your "tribe" and apart from those with different viewpoints? Preaching to the choir, you might miss the rest of us. How do we bridge this technology-mediated divide?
2. Online shopping and home delivery. This may seem trivial compared to its cousin, Social Media, but the convenience and safety of an ever-expanding online economy suggests this form of shopping is here to stay. We may not miss the mad dash for in-store discounts on Black Friday. But will personal service and the ability to touch products before we buy them disappear? Will your device let you smell the latest fragrance? In this new age, machine learning may personalize your e-commerce experience. Sellers collect data on consumers to know our size and preferences, while good old “retail therapy” is rapidly moving online. Beware of the extreme ease with which you can order (perhaps unneeded) items, with just the click of a button!
3. Face masks with electronic functions. A company named Donut Robotics created an electronically enhanced face covering to allow masked people to hold a clear conversation from up to 10 meters apart — and the units act as a translator, too! In Singapore, a face mask is being manufactured with a built-in temperature and blood oxygen sensor, while a South Korean company creates masks with integrated air purifiers. Just add some earbuds for a pandemic-era stocking stuffer! Face masks have been common in many cultures previously, but now globally, companies are ramping up the development of fashionable, electronic tie-ins with face mask technology to attract consumers and their cash. Perhaps cash is evolving to digital currency as well? Cash was king, but soon might become BitCoin instead! (1)
4. Videoconferencing and video calling. Although video calls were conceived in early fiction (remember Star Trek or James Bond?), it took a pandemic to make video-conference users out of most of us. According to one survey, live video has near-universal adoption for social use, with about 1/3 of us engaging in a video chat at least once a week. Telecommuting is increasing, with a recent 100%-plus increase in videoconferencing as the main modality to interact with coworkers. In 2020, Zoom averaged 200-plus million daily participants, compared with under 10 million last year. (2)
In conclusion, let's not take it for granted that the technology we invent for convenience is purely benign. There are questions that we as human inventors and users of technology must address. Conveniences and safety factors must be weighed against the automated job losses, absence of physical contact, and the changing ways we make a living, and live. We must be mindful of the technology we use and the information bubbles we create. Let's remember to preserve the human connection beneath all the data and circuitry.
