2012 – The Year of Continuous Change
In general, when people hear about 2012, they talk about doomsday and the end of the world.
For technology and Internet, it’s a time of continuous reinvention. Old things are being developed to gain new appearances or functions. Mary Meeker, well-known Internet analyst, discusses how technology is being revolutionized, which in turn, changes our way of life.
Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook, said in a letter to potential shareholders in May of this year: “We hope to rewire the way people spread and consume information…We think a more open and connected world will help create a stronger economy with more authentic businesses that build better products and services.”
In thinking about this visionary has declared, we realize that Facebook has indeed ‘rewired’ the way we use information. Every time we log into this social network, we see tidbits of information we can ‘like,’ ‘comment’ and ‘share.’ Communication is made easier as old friends are now given an avenue where they can connect in real time through status updates, chats and messages. Powerhouses and well-known organizations can now reach out to a larger number of people using Facebook pages. Privacy issues aside, one can safely conclude that Facebook is one of the best things that happened in social media.
Another example how people are changed together with technology is the advent of Twitter. 140 characters are enough to reach millions of people and share news experienced firsthand by accident victims, typhoon survivors and more. Then there’s Sohaib Athar, the man who unknowingly first reported about the covert U.S. operation to kill terrorist Osama bin Laden. On hindsight, his tweet is the first indication of news about the whole incident. This just shows how Twitter is useful in disseminating important information before we officially hear them in the news.
Aside from that, we sometimes hear news about how people get themselves out of a scrape by using their mobile phones to call for help. Other people, instead of calling, post about their situation on Twitter or Facebook for others to alert the authorities on their behalf.
Other activities we used to do with notepads and writing instruments, paints and brushes are now taken over by technology. There’s Evernote for notetaking purposes that can be accessed in a multitude of electronic devices, from computers to smartphones. Paper by Fiftythree was made with digitally enhanced creation tools and a screen can be used as a reusable canvas which allows users to create art anywhere and anytime. Another popular example is Instagram, an application used to change the look of a picture from vintage to sepia to black and white. E-books are also on the rise with the rise of Amazon Kindle and Apple iBooks. This made reading more convenient since there’s no need to cart around a bag of books when you can cram 20 books’ worth of text in a Kindle.
A list can go on and on until we’re all bombarded with all the ways that technology has made our lives easier and more manageable. Technology is being continuously developed to make processes churn out high-quality results in the fastest way possible. Maybe one day, we’ll all be able to ride in floating cars and fly around the city instead of driving on the ground. Or do everything with a tablet on our hands which we use for everything except cleaning the house and washing the dishes. Things that we used to do with various materials carefully picked will be replaced by a single computer, phone or tablet where can create digital versions of what we want. When one thinks about it, this evokes nostalgia about products made obsolete by technology and, at the same time, excitement about what other surprises the future has set in store for us.