Technology is creating shifts in human attention – and businesses have long recongised the need to understand these changes. However, much like big data, what is happening now that is changing the balance, is the impact of social media. It has increased the speed at which consumer attention changes, and how many channels are fragmenting attention.
Technology has also changed consumers expectations – it’s now an on-demand, highly personalised marketplace.
A subtle shift is occurring where no longer do only companies have to keep pace with advances in technology, but so too must consumers. Getting on board with the latest ‘gadgets’ is no longer an option – for those who fail to engage in new ways may soon find the old ways are no longer an option. For example, internet banking has largely replaced cheques and cash for many people [and businesses], social media communications have supplanted email in some sectors of society, and long standing brands are being ousted by ‘pop up’ stores. There seems to be some new form of ‘gram’ or ‘chat’ every month.
For decades we have hailed innovation as being the saviour of business success, economic growth, health care, security, and the environment. But is the pace of technology innovation in danger of eclipsing the ability of humans to engage with it, leverage its value, understand its security risks and to use it. Are we able to keep pace to educate those who need to implement and deploy it?
There is a scientific concept that supports the theory that the Universe has a natural tendency towards complexity. We can see this already, for example:
In communication – we have moved from person to person communication, through to letters, phones, mobile phones, email, online chat and social media. The expanding choices are all technology driven – and are all increasing in complexity, not just in the technology one must deploy, but the social and business impact. Marketers now have to split their marketing budget across numerous channels and keep pace with the trends that Twitter can change in an instant – definitely more complex.
In business – we have evolved from local stores, to supermarkets, to hypermalls, to international online conglomerates. This has increased the complexity through diversity of cultures, markets, regulations, employees, product values, and financials.
In products – we no longer shop for a consumer item, we shop between the multitude of brand options, feature options, delivery options and payment options. We get the product and now need a 20 page instruction manual to use it, and likely it was translated by a non-native speaker, making interpretation sometimes very difficult.
Technology advancement is posing a lot of new questions.
It is certainly more complex, but is it better? Are humans innovating products and services to the point where humans can no longer deliver to market expectations? At what point will innovation stop being reliant on innovative people? And, will machine learning incorporate these human factors into the pace of its own self-development?
Author: Gail La Grouw. Insight Mastery Program Director, and Strategic Performance Consultant for Coded Vision Ltd.
