Nowadays it seems like everyone is talking about what’s going on with the latest and greatest in technology. It’s almost impossible to go an entire day without hearing something about Apple or have someone gush to you about how much they love their new smartphone.
I would bet that if the majority of the population hadn’t already abandoned their point-and-shoot cameras for their smartphones’ cameras, you would see equally as many pictures of new iPhones as newborn babies on sites like Facebook and Instagram.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my new iPhone 5. Actually if you have a moment, let me tell you what I like about it, and why you should get one…ummm on second thought, I’m kinda busy writing this blog post, maybe later.
Ahhh! See what I mean!? It’s addicting. For some reason, we have this urge to spread the news about our latest technological revelations to any poor soul who is willing to listen. This isn’t surprising considering that’s the core strategy behind sites like Pinterest — to make it very easy to tell the whole world exactly what projects you started but will never finish. Or sites like Instagram where you can’t help but take a picture of your…well anything, and share it with the whole world.
When it boils down to it, what makes technology so addicting?
Is it the physical object that you hold in your hand that creates this eternal love affair?
No, of course not, it’s the experience that those devices give you and how they can make your lives easier in some ways, while simultaneously making them more complicated in others.
Owning a smartphone is like being in a bad relationship:
- It remembers everything you tell it and it finds out things you don’t.
- If you’re not careful, it will tell all of your friends what you did over the weekend that maybe you’re not all that proud of.
- It never leaves you alone, day or night.
- It wakes you up earlier in the morning than you would prefer.
- It costs you tons of money, and in the end, convinces you to spend more.
So if technology is so invasive why do we love it so much?
It’s the experience that it gives us. It’s the feeling of being connected to something bigger than ourselves. It gives everyone the opportunity to learn by exploring the world in ways — and from perspectives — that would never have been possible. And it does so regardless of age, gender, or national origin. Let me be clear on one point, you don’t need the latest and greatest devices to enjoy this experience, you simply need the curiosity to seek out what you do not already know. Regardless of what device you use, it’s only a click away.
Technology is a part of us, and we are a part of it.
So what can you do to help this encourage innovation at work?
The more we focus on the experience our company gives our customers through technology, the more we will get in return.
- You can stay up-to-date on the latest and greatest in the world of technology through tech blogs like Gizmodo. You don’t know what you don’t know. So stay up to date.
- Listen to younger employees who have grown up with technology. Don’t stifle their ideas. They may not know the business very well, but they may know a thing or two about emerging technology.
- Dive head first into social media, or at least give it a try before you decide to boycott it. If you already have Facebook, don’t stop there! Open a Twitter account, you might be surprised that it’s not ‘just-for-kids’ after all.
Change is tough, and it’s technology’s middle name. The faster technology grows, the faster companies and individuals will need to learn to adapt.
So stay educated, keep informed, and don’t roll your eyes when someone tries to tell you about their new smartphone. You might just learn something.
Brian Gualillo 