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In an ever-changing world, things are moving at a fast pace. In this article, we’ll look into 10 digital trends that have changed the world.
Voice technology
For something that’s just over 10 years old, voice technology has taken over and truly changed the world. Many young people can’t remember a life before Siri, which Apple introduced in April 2011, and it wasn’t long before other companies got on board.
It was, perhaps, the introduction of Alexa in 2014 that really started to transform things. In the last seven years, voice technology has become more and more integrated within our daily lives. It’s safe to say that this technology has already changed the world – and will likely continue to do so.
Blockchain
This new technology has changed the world even though it’s just in its infancy. With blockchain, there is a decentralized database where everything is stored and has value. Essentially, it’s a P2P (peer-to-peer) system that has no centralized control. It means people can stay away from the dominance of companies such as Facebook and Google to take control of their own data and transactions without being scrutinized. It doesn’t matter whether you’re using Bitcoin to use an online casino in Russia or investing in a company, blockchain can be used.
AI and automation
Once upon a time, Artificial Intelligence was a futuristic vision of robots and automation. Now, though, it’s a huge reality and lives alongside us. All we need to do is say “Hey, Siri!” or “Alexa!” and we have an AI fulfilling requests and answering questions.
AI chatbots, natural language processing and machine learning have all raised the computer-human interaction that has led to the real success of AI.
Thanks to artificial intelligence, businesses are able to gather data, transform insights into action and incorporate them into business and marketing plans.
5G
5G has been a hotly debated topic for some time. This fifth-generation technology means speeds are up to 20x faster than its predecessor. Though 5G is still being rolled out and is still considered to be in its infancy, it has already revolutionized mobile connections.
The technology’s 20-fold upgrading means more users can be connected to a single tower, which helps to avoid congestion of networks during mass gatherings. Unsurprisingly, there’s also less latency compared to 4G.
With advances in reliability, response time and speed, people are now able to work reliably from anywhere that 5G is available. You can still join in video calls and conferences with no noticeable difference from broadband Wi-Fi.
Internet of Things (IoT)
The Internet of Things is slowly beginning to change the world. Many of our home and work devices now communicate with us and with each other. Improvements in connectivity mean that one machine can instruct another to do something on our behalf. Examples of IoT devices already in our homes include:
- Smart bulbs
- Smart blinds
- Wireless smartphone chargers
- Smart speakers
- Smart TVs
Data analytics
Data has existed forever, but for a long time, there was simply too much of it for us to analyze to make a difference in how we did things. Since the automation of data analytics, we can analyze raw data and make conclusions about it. Data analytics is an ingrained part of every business’ marketing strategy whether it’s looking at what happened or predicting what might happen next.
Data analytics is important as businesses can use it to optimize performance and make better decisions.
Amazon
What was once an online book retailer has quickly become the go-to place for quick online buys. Essentially, Amazon has been the one to redefine how we shop. It revolutionized what customers expect from other retailers with its free shipping, one-click ordering and personalized recommendations.
On-demand video
Services such as Netflix and YouTube have revolutionized how we watch TV and movies in our homes. Where once we’d head to Blockbuster on a Friday evening, now we’re turning to a huge library from our sofas. This digital revolution has certainly changed things, especially for companies such as Blockbuster. Content producers are now scrambling to produce hit shows to keep up with demand.
Social media
Nowadays, social media is nothing new but it’s so different from where it started. At its inception, it was a way of staying in touch, but now it’s so much more than that. Platforms such as Instagram and TikTok have gained huge traction, especially in the pandemic when social media replaced many other activities we used to do. Social gaming has also taken off. It’s safe to say that social media is here to stay and has changed the world within a generation!
Virtual meetings
Microsoft Teams, Google Meet and Zoom have revolutionized how we play, work, go to school and even pray since Covid-19 hit. Although things have now returned almost to pre-pandemic activity, there is little doubt that virtual meetings are here to stay.
While Skype has existed for many years before Covid-19, there was never really a huge need for it to be commonplace. The pandemic changed all that and the future of meetings is likely to involve video software more frequently.These 10 things have certainly changed how we live, work and play. Who knows what will appear on this list in a decade’s time!