A Digital Future No One Predicted
Updated: May 18, 2019
You may be wondering about the next big thing in digital technology. I have pondered this question for decades. Although my conclusions are only general, they will become more specific as some magical things are revealed. For now, I would like everyone to feel much better about what comes next. Technology may seem to be a demon today. Tomorrow, humans will laugh about the digital immaturity of the past 30 years.
Accessibility, transparency, education, consumer electronics, government, and, yes, capitalism itself are all getting HUGE upgrades at the hands of digital technology. The difference between now and the near future is in how technology is used rather than what it is capable of. It is clear how incredibly capable technology is, yet humanity is so enamored with its new toy, it justifies the ethically-unadulterated use of it.
Ideological and Ethical Disintegration
The biggest minds in the industry justify and perpetuate blinding misrepresentations, unethical practices, and a cavalier attitude about toying with humanity itself. These figure heads even use a decline in collective self-worth and environmental negligence to develop entire businesses that defy everything that mother nature, psychology, human factors, science, and spirituality continue to prove. Many digital businesses practice mass cognitive manipulation with not even a question from society until there is a need to point a finger in the aftermath of a massive transgression. And then, a monetary fine is issued against billions of dollars in profits that would not even exist without this manipulation.
Overcoming Foolishness
There is no accountability when it comes to the blatant and transparent bastardization of humanity while using digital technology. One demon is continuously traded for several more.
Is this simply the human condition, never to change? Is the ultimate destruction of humanity's most beautiful features, which actually extend to the entire Earthly biome, just inevitable? No, it is not. No, this immature and opportunistic use of technology will not persist at all. And no, the cessation of techno-immaturity does not require government intervention of any kind.
By virtue of existing human-reinforced requirements, not currently being met by technology, change is afoot. To be specific, the elderly, those with special needs, children, emerging societies, oppressed cultures, the impoverished, and many perfectly normal and perfectly privileged humans have trouble with technology. Not only is it a leap for many people to use technology to do the most basic things, having access to it is difficult and often impossible. This comes about because digital technology is expensive and overtly complex in order to accommodate opportunistic commerce and capitalism. The internet is heavily controlled and constrained by an Earth-scale battle of monopolization. This all seems rather insurmountable, but there is very simple way to fix it.
The Approach to Tomorrow
Abstractly, this fix comes down to building a digital stack which works better for all humans. That means digital products and interfaces that are cheaper, fantastically easier to use, reliable, user repairable, intergenerational, accessible, and non-invasive. By simply meeting these requirements, all the other magical things we need technology to do, will become emergent. Digital technology will bloom and by doing so, humanity will bloom.
Specifically, this fix is already underway. A magical realm of fantastically new objects and perspectives on technology is in development. Soon, something absolutely beautiful and perhaps unbelievable will be slipped into the palm of your hand. Soon, humans will smile as they look at their personal devices. They will feel untethered, hopeful, and empowered in fantastically new ways, all by this brand new paradigm which is also a brand new product line. Yes, this egalitarian effort is undeniably capitalistic. It will be profitable for some and for others, a pebble in the shoe.
I am reminded of some phrases that were once used in a playful marketing battle, "Think (NCR, 1911)" and "Think Different (Apple,1997)." I would like to add, "Keep Thinking™ (2019)."