How technologyChangesBehaviour

Overview

New technology is changing the way we think and act . Not only

does tech have the power to change our lives, it has the power

to change the world around us. We take a look at how modern

technology has created a different world to the one we were in

ten years ago.

The impactOn Society.

Memory retention and attention spans

The average Internet user has an attention span of eight

seconds – this is down from 12 seconds in 2000*. Whilst some

believe this information overload allows us to process

information more rapidly, many others believe that millennials

have low concentration, are unable to focus and think deeply or

strategically*. According to a study done in 2003, gamers

process visual information more quickly than non-gamers –

clearly the overload of visual stimuli contributes positively,

rather than negatively. *Source: http://www.statisticbrain.com/attention-span-statistics/http://www.pewinternet.org/2012/02/29/main-findings-teens-technology-and-human-potential-in-2020/

The rise of the smartphone and connectivity

Smartphones, ever-present wifi, social media and faster

Internet speeds mean we are constantly in contact with

everyone. The way we build and develop relationships is

entirely different to 15 or 20 years ago. This has both

positive and negative consequences; whilst our ability to

stay in touch or make new communications remotely has

improved, our ability to communicate face-to-face may be

impacted*.

*Source: http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2013/mar/11/technology-internet-pupil-attention-teaching

*Source: http://wearesocial.net/blog/2015/01/digital-social-mobile-worldwide-2015/

*Source: http://wearesocial.net/blog/2015/01/digital-social-mobile-worldwide-2015/

Literacy

Even though the current generation may have a shorter

attention span, they have greater access than ever before to

information. Apart from the day-to-day online access, there are

a number of programs running in South Africa and other

developed countries that distribute textbooks and learning

materials to children and learners via text message and other

networking services*. Essentially, instead of forcing learners to

learn the way they have historically learned, technologically-

savvy educators are realising it is best to reach students the

way they want to be taught. *Source: http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20120823-what-africa-can-learn-from-phones

How we listen, watch and engage

Technology has changed the way we consume media, not just

on what (we no longer need a radio to listen to music, or a

television to watch films) but also where and when we

consume this media. 81% of consumers who have wireless

broadband in their home have taken their computer into the

bedroom; 51% have taken it into the kitchen, and 21% into

the bathroom*. We can consume whatever we want, wherever

we want, at any time of the day, thanks to smart devices. We

can even give and watch presentations remotely, or engage

with various media on multiple devicesSource: http://hotelexecutive.com/business_review/1791/changes-in-consumer-media-consumption/

How we listen, watch and engage

Our health

Wireless technologies are changing our behaviour towards

health and fitness. In some instances good, in others bad.

For health practitioners, the capabilities are endless.

Doctors can now keep track of patients’ health. Wearables

for athletes can also provide data around recovery, muscle

endurance. For the average individual, apps like the Nike

app ensure we keep track of activity and push ourselves.

There is even new technology in cars that can prevent

people driving if they have been drinking*. Source: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/technology/story/this-new-car-technology-wont-let-you-drink-and-drive/1/425319.html

The impactOn business.

Overview

Because technology has changed the way we socialise with

one another, the businesses that we interact with on a day-

to-day basis are changing too. These companies (start-ups,

organisations etc) are changing the way they think and

operate. With new digital tools, companies that might once

have been simply hardware makers (such as Jawbone) or

service providers (Expedia) are now taking on the role of

influencer, attempting to shape the habits of their users by

exploiting the psychological underpinnings of how people

make choices.

Crowdsourcing

Crowdsourcing has existed for a while now, and it has

impacted how people raise money for creative and personal/

business projects. Twenty years ago, if you wanted funding

for anything, you had to go to friends, or family, or the

bank, or investors, and pitch the idea. Now, all you have to

do is out it on a crowdsourcing site and ask your peers for

funding. You are the master of your own destiny.

Crowdsourcing

Indiegogo, Crowdfund, Kickstarter… these platforms assist people to

raise capital for their individual or startup projects without the need

to approach large investors.

Banking

Apps like Snapscan in South Africa that allow you to pay for

goods without a credit card or cash, or Facebook’s new

money transfer capabilities, or even Twitter’s ‘Pay with a

tweet’ are all adaptations based on the way users want to

bank and what people have come to expect; convenience at

their fingertips. Paypal for mobile even has a feature that

allows users to find nearby vendors that accept the service,

helping to marry the location and mobile element of the

app.

Banking

Mobile payment apps such as Snapscan and

Snapcash, the ability of Smart watches to make

mobile payments, and Paypal’s ‘find a nearby

vendor’ app function means the world of banking

is moving away from a traditional structure

towards a more technologically in-tune one.

Sharing economies

A sharing economy is one in which everyone participating

gets to benefit from resources they have which are not

being used. The best examples are Uber and AirBnb. The

good thing about the sharing economy is that it facilitates

the use of underutilized resources. Anybody with houses or

apartments that have rooms empty can profit while allowing

guests a place to stay at often lower prices. Uber offers

competitive fares – and its drivers can drive as much or as

little as they like, without making a commitment to standard

shifts.

Sharing economies

Uber and AirBnb are two of many of sharing economy services that

have taken the world by storm.

Smart data

“They expect companies have data on them. They just want it

to do something useful for them,”

Philip Wickline, CEO of Zaius

Smart data

Unlike traditional business models, more and more digitally-

lead services gather data on users at every step of the

interaction and learn from user preferences. These systems

not only learn about you, they learn the behaviour of all of

their users, and can use this information to improve these

services. Through modelling, pattern recognition and

predictive algorithms, behaviour can be predicted and

explained.

(source: http://www.technologyreview.com/news/535826/technology-and-persuasion/)

Smart data

Japan, in partnership with

Panasonic, recently developed a

smart town outside of Tokyo:

Fujisawa Sustainable Smart Town

features homes with solar panels,

batteries for storing energy, LED

lighting, ride-sharing services and a

community center with a cafe and

kitchen facility to hold workshops

and events.

Wearables and apps FOR EVERYTHING

There are devices and mobile apps to organise every moment

of your life – from things like Evernote, to apps that act as an

online shopping list, there’s even an app that allows you to

scan barcodes on wine to keep track of which wines you have

tried, your rating and what your friends are drinking. There are

even apps to keep track of calories, exercise regimes and that

track your sleep. Wearable devices are becoming more

pervasive ; The Apple watch keeps you notified of everything on

social media, tracks your movement and fitness and reminds

you to be more active.

A timeline of

wearables over

the past 7

years.

According to BI,

smart wrist

wear will make

up 70% of

wearables

shipments

throughout the

next five years.

Conclusion

From our dating habits, to the way we sleep and even the way

we work, technology has impacted every facet of our lives. We

plan events on social media instead of in person, we are rarely

more than a few feet from our mobile devices and we track

every aspect of what we do – even if we aren’t doing it

deliberately (if you have access to the Internet and a smart

phone, Google is tracking your movements). Trends like sharing

economies and smart data mean that consumers and

entrepreneurs and businesses are making smarter decisions

that (positively) impact everyone’s lives.

Thankyou.