Disruptive tecnologies: It’s not just business – it’s personal

Most of companies are changing the way they see their customers as they take a customer-centric approach to their relationship with them. This is happening because of technology trends which are changing the way each one of us interacts with the rest of the world – and not only from a customer perspective. This is also impacting new products, new services and imposing embedded technology onto everything.

We are all already disrupted

First came the internet. Then the internet of things (IoT) which is now the internet of everything (IoE). It´s also the internet of Me – being connected 24/7. Sensors in our pockets are surrounding everyone, everywhere.  The internet of Me has transformed web surfing into a personalized experience. Our lives have been transformed in a reality show. If we wish, we can let everyone know every single thing we are doing.

 And this is not optional: you are punished for not being online today. You won´t have friends. They won´t talk to you, unless you communicate via an electronic channel, and I am not talking about that thing called the telephone.

 I bought a new car in 2010. It came with connectivity to iPods or iPhone via cable (hold on, not Bluetooth yet).  At that time, it was nearly revolutionary! Take your songs from your phone and listen in your car - amazing! Today, this feature is obsolete. New cars have an entire Multimedia system for connections thru USB and Bluetooth, audio and video streaming, GPS connected to the internet, automatic telephone detection, LED displays and many other options. And I’m just talking about a car, whose main purpose is to just take you from one place to another. Guess what changed in the engine? Not much. For most people, connectivity is more important than that mix of letters under the hood (ABS, EBD, etc) that only a few buyers seem to really care about. People want to stay connected more than ever. And in a world were one point is connected to the other, more and more people have to be on-line to authenticate themselves just to get into their own home.  What is the point here? We are starting to consume new products not because of their main function, but because of their connectivity capabilities.

 My car is a great car. The other day my wife rented a brand new car and got very excited about how many things she would be able to do with her cell phone connected via Bluetooth. Knowing that our old car is not so connectable, we started a discussion: should we really buy a new car just because the old one is not connected ? Do we really need a Smart TV?  Do we really need a new smartphone? In the end, we both agreed that the main point wasn´t the new technology itself, but how to manage all the changes and impacts to our personal lives.   

 Change is the only constant 

From a business perspective, disruptive technologies have different levels of impact depending on the industry. New industries are born just because of technology. And because of technology, some industries have disappeared or are heading in that direction. Smart enterprises are always looking forward, identifying new trends, aligning IT with its business objectives in order to plan their next steps.

 But how about you and your personal life? Did your family’s Board of Directors complain about your financial performance? Or the quality of your life? Did you realize that technology is changing relations within your family, and it is going to change even more as new generations unconsciously incorporate new technologies into their daily lives? My seven-year-old boy is a Star Wars fan - a huge Dart Vader fan. He really enjoys bad guys, but he also likes Batman. How did he start to like them? No, it didn´t happen after watching their movies, but rather after frequently playing their video games or their apps on a smartphone. He learned the story of the characters in the games – the movies were an added extra bonus!

 How do you manage changes in your life? 

You don't need to be an expert or IT Professional to figure out what is going on. The challenge is how to make a smooth transition to the new technology Era. The challenge for many is that the Era has already started and you are in the middle of the hurricane. It seems like everyone around you has already changed old habits - even older generations need to change to avoid living in the past - a world that is rapidly slipping away and becoming obsolete. (like my mother that had to learn how to use social media at the age of 74 in order to communicate with her family).

 When a new technology is launched, not much thought is given to the long-term impact it may have on society. At least, not the unintended ones. We all get easily impressed about the pros. The new possibilities. Stop by a restaurant and take a look on how many people are sitting next to someone that is not talking with them, but only paying attention to their cell phone. So be careful and watch your step. These societal changes need to be considered and incorporated carefully in our daily activities, especially with children. Don´t let new technologies consume you just because everyone uses them. Like drugs, some bad habits can transform normal people and impact their personal lives.