Saving Time

Every invention, from the first primitive tool carved by early man, to the most modern software and digital devices, has been created in order to meet this objective. The progression of mankind has depended on it for help with mundane tasks reducing man hours, quenching our thirst for speed and, ultimately, allowing us more freedom.

But no sooner has one ground-breaking appliance been developed, than another supersedes it: a cheaper package promising a faster service and an easier lifestyle. As our appetite for advanced technology continues unsated, so our perception of saving time becomes more relative and elusive, generating a cycle of redundant ‘old’ technology and must-have, new technology.

There isn’t a single industry that has not been influenced and modified in some way by the digital world, in a bid to save on time. From the TMT (technology, media and telecoms) sector manufacturing the latest smart watches, smart phones and tablets; marketing firms that use software with complex algorithms to collect and generate data, to the healthcare sector that is using technology to develop everything from simple apps aimed at helping patients better manage their condition, to devices that can carry out complete blood counts in minutes, and state-of-the-art technology that can detect dementia years before visible signs manifest.

Keeping abreast of advances in this ever-changing environment is no mean feat. It is easy to miss a digital step and get left behind or become jaded by the continuous raft of changes, preferring instead to be a laggard: a term coined by Everett Rogers in his book entitled Diffusion of Innovations in which he describes society’s ability to embrace a new product or innovation using the adoption curve.

If we are to sail through the waves of this ultra-high-tech world, it is vital that we avoid slipping into a laggard mentality and keep pace with the latest developments. Our reliance upon the latest software and hardware, evolving artificial intelligence and deep machine learning, will likely only become greater, and more interwoven into our lifestyles.

It is no longer a case of sink or swim, but sync and swim.

Author: Michelle Burt