Connected world, smart factories, wearables – these were mostly unfamiliar terms just a few years ago, but today new technologies have conquered not only the workplace, but our everyday lives as well.  In my previous blog post I acquainted myself with smart watches and the rise of a new era and I realized that we are already in the middle of the upheaval, without knowing it.

Because of society’s fast pace and the constant technological advancements, we have become unaware of the changes that our world is undergoing. The difference between the real and the virtual world has become thin and blurred already. Today we communicate almost solely via WhatsApp or other similar chats, we post our “adjusted” lives on social media, skype with our colleagues, advise clients via connected platforms, we ask Dr. Google for diagnosis and look up the best rated physician in radius of 5km. These are but a few examples. Are we going to lose ourselves within the virtual world?

I recently stumbled upon a video on LinkedIn which demonstrated the future of hyper-reality. It made me think about how our world would be, determined from these computer programs and machines. Would be? We are already amongst it. The scene in the video seems totally futuristic, though I’m sure, some of the technologies has been already developed and might be announced at CES 2017.  Ten years ago we would have never thought about being able to capture our whole lives on a single device that fits in our palms, or even a miniature display on our wrists. What we are capable of today with new technologies such as voice commands and gestures which were also unthinkable some time ago, will soon be possible just by the use of our mere thoughts. Some of these features have already been successfully implemented and are helping people with disabilities to have a better everyday life. Even the development of humanlike intelligence has already progressed a lot and now there are more robots than we think. From self-operating vacuum cleaners and lawn mowers to smart applications that regulate the temperature in our homes, water our plants and even monitor our personal health up to automated production sites.

Most of our free time and working hours are spent within the virtual world which makes it quite clear that it is the perfect platform to reach us as consumer. Many companies are well aware of it and make use of that and those who have yet to realize this hidden business potential should know that competition never sleeps. We still remember how some companies never managed to undergo the leap into e-commerce and thus were eliminated from the market by young competitors. Digital marketing, social marketing and storytelling are the new tools which are changing the marketing industry. Today, our world is heavily intensive when it comes to information and this has led people possessing a very short attention span. Accordingly, the industry is utilizing colorful, shrill, creative and emotional marketing concepts to capture people’s interests. As consumers we are strongly selective and demanding, because of the large flood of advertising images. Therefore, agencies and marketing branches are using the brightest minds in order to devise campaigns capable of competing towards grasping our attention. And at some point, which I believe is to be very soon, virtual reality will obtain a permanent spot in our everyday lives and will replace our reality to a certain extent.

I don’t want to stir up any creepy conspiracy theories which are probably being prepared to be the next big Hollywood blockbuster either way! 😉 I would rather prefer our society to learn to grasp these opportunities. The fact is, the development is unstoppable, and that is a good thing since the original concept behind all the technology is to help people and make their lives more comfortable and less stressful. Now the true challenge is, to learn how to use all types of technology in a proper way that won’t put us under social and personal pressure.

Merken