In her TEDx Talk, Stefanie Hospital talks about how mobile technologies have revolutionized the way we interact with content within just 50 years of the invention of the microprocessor. Twenty-four years since the internet was invented, and it has led to a complete transformation of our lives. Within 6 years of the invention of the smartphone, they’ve changed our lives to a great extent. With 40% of the world population now connected, businesses are increasingly focused on internet marketing and sales. In the next year, 2 billion more people are going to be connected to the web. Mobile e-commerce is leading business sales. Twenty-five companies that are worth 4 billion dollars or more have been created in just a few years and depend on the Internet alone (The Future is All about Mobile Technology, 2014).
It is transforming Television programming, where now, instead of the channel, the content itself has begun to matter. YouTube and streaming content are replacing cable television, and even older communications software is being replaced by new and improved ones within a few years. Applications are transforming how we use currency or pay money for services. As device intelligence increases, functions become increasingly automated. Health evaluations become personal. As the world becomes more information-oriented, there are concerns about privacy, but Stefanie believes it leads us towards better lives.
The digital transformation is revolutionizing all sectors. Creating your own startup is cheaper and simpler today than ever, thanks to the low costs for connectivity today. The TedX talk reminds us not to fear the coming advances but to embrace them and adapt to them.
This has not only economic but socio-cultural influences, as not only the way we interact changes, but individuals and their habits themselves are evolving with it. My personal business developed through establishing contacts all over the world through WhatsApp, in which digitally networked teams assist each other in closing sales for multiple commodities without having to open formal offices. I could relate to the talk through my personal example. Although the talk was thought-provoking, it could use some more statistics and figures, along with visual aids, to make the inferred conclusions clearer and more exciting. But in the general sense, I agree with Stephanie’s views that it is time for us to embrace the change instead of fearing it, adapt to it instead of resisting it, and work together for a collective future.
References
The future is all about mobile technology. 2014. [Film] Directed by Stefanie Hospital. Thessaloniki: TEDx Talks.
