Opinion

Digital Shift: Tomorrow’s Relationship and Ideals

unnamed-2Kristy Richards, and Daniel Bluzer-Fry present a synopsis of their talk at SXSW looking investigating what effects ‘game changing’ technologies may have on who we are and our relationships and ideals in the future.

Technology and the rapid pace of innovation is having a profound effect upon all of our lives. The positive draw of the benefits of tech is hugely enticing.

It enables us to constantly gain access to information, and find efficiency gains in the ways we manage our time and relationships, but conversely it has also meant that we are often distracted, as we spread our attention thinly, multitasking across numerous spaces: Tinder, Facebook, email, WhatsApp…

This situation is set to intensify, as digital spaces become more sophisticated and immersive, heightening our enjoyment.

Imagine how the biometric revolution will transform how we connect with others. Threads that read our moods, and apps that measure the success of our relationships. It’s real and happening. Two of the best examples are: Toyota’s mood reading car and the App PPLKPR.

Toyota launched a chameleon-like car that changes colour according to the driver’s mood, and suggests destinations based on facial expressions.

Imagine – no more road rage because your car interior will change colour, and maybe start playing some soothing music to help calm you down.

Then there’s the new App PPLKPR. It’s a wearable designed to help us to better understand, and manage, our relationships by measuring our blood pressure to gauge how each friend, family member, colleague makes you feel – the idea being that this information helps you make more informed decisions about your relationships.

These ideas could have remarkable potential to improve our lives, as biometrics help us better understand ourselves, helping us to make changes to our behaviour to enhance our mental and physical wellness. Equally the weight of information could overwhelm us, making us increasingly self-conscious and anxious, acting more like a weight around our necks, that controls and hinders us.

We believe we have reached a turning point where people, businesses and brands need to start thinking about the potential impact tech innovation has, and could have, on us as individuals and on society’s overall happiness.

As individuals, we will of course have some influence in the way we let technology shape our lives, but organisations and brands also need to look at what opportunities they have to contribute to human, and societal happiness as we continue to innovate.

Brands have a responsibility to take a more active role in how people interact with technology throughout the product lifecycle. Potentially creating ‘ethics boards’, an impartial body that has the skills, time and distance to hypothesize the potential future impact, honestly. Spotting looming issues to negotiate – a bit like a canary in a coalmine.

Brands will of course continue to celebrate the benefits of their products, they should, but now they will also have to start to illuminate the challenges associated with new technology. The best brands will take action to support and educate their consumers, across the customer journey: from development to sale, usage and finally when they upgrade.

A cradle-to-cradle relationship designed to help ensure their products enrich lives.

Imagine a world where Google engages not just their employees but also their users about mindfulness, making sure people have balanced approach to their tech.

Put simply its about brands being always on and always connected, just as their user are.

  • Kristy Richards and Daniel Bluzer-Fry work for The Lab Strategy, and presented this session at SXSW 2015

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