DEMATERIALIZATION, DEMONETIZATION and DEMOCRATIZATION
These three things are changing the way we go about our lives and the way we do business, which is frequently disruptive to traditional social protocols and business models.
Dematerialization: We are increasingly using less materials. With Technology, almost everything is moving onto our smart devices. We now store our libraries, music, cameras, maps, diaries management and reporting systems, to name but a few, on our devices, or the cloud. This means that we are no longer using raw materials to produce and store these. It also means we can frequently manage things remotely, which reduces the need for transport and offices. Our devices will increasingly be linked to a smart world, supported by sensors and the internet of things, which will give us access to ever more information and increasingly allow remote control of our world. For example, in future, sensors will give us continuous real time updates to our smart devices, of when our bodies are out of kilter, becoming ill, about to have a heart attack or a stroke. Cloud based Artificial Intelligence will do the diagnostics better than a doctor can. Consequently, we will only need to visit our doctors for critical conditions, as they will be able to diagnose, prescribe and dispense remotely via our smart devices.
Demonetization: We are increasingly getting things for free or for less, that we used to pay for. With Technology, things like phone calls, libraries, music, maps, apps and software are either free, except for our cost of data, or far cheaper than before. This means we have more disposable income to spend on other things. Think about the fact that we can go to countless chatrooms to get free opinions and advice. The abovementioned example of the automated diagnostics also illustrates future trends.
Democratization: Social media has literally enabled millions to communicate or connect with millions. This has allowed mass mobilization for people to either express their opinion or mobilize for protests, virtually instantaneously. Before, it took massive amounts of money and effort to bring about change, which meant it was mostly driven by Governments or major corporations. However, today it is virtually costless and effortless.
Please comment or ask questions. We would love to hear from you.
My book Technology Tsunami Alert will be launched mid-2020.
Please also read the Gold/Silver and Investment chapters on my EelcoGold website.
